THEY are holiday snaps England footballer Kyle Walker could only ever have dreamed of this time last year.
And few, if any, would have had any sympathy for him.
Annie Kilner has been on luxury trips with estranged husband Kyle after sensationally filing for divorce nearly 12 months ago[/caption]
‘The truth is, Annie doesn’t want to be with Kyle – she can’t forget the past but can’t see a life without him’, revealed our insider[/caption]
Fathering a second child with your former mistress will tend to do that.
But so far this summer the former Manchester City full-back, 35, and in the twilight of his career, has been busy collecting air miles.
A whistle-stop tour of New York at the end of the season was followed by two weeks in Jamaica and a return leg via Miami.
Last week he was in Ibiza as the finishing touches were made ahead of his stunning move to Premier League new boys, Burnley.
And the one constant throughout the luxury trips abroad? His estranged wife, Annie Kilner, and their four kids.
It is a remarkable turn of events given that nearly 12 months ago Annie sensationally filed for divorce.
A second child to Lauryn Goodman, one-time Instagram influencer and now self-appointed online safety campaigner, appeared to be the final straw.
After months of ‘will she, won’t she, surely she must,?!’ Annie had finally done it.
The nation, in turn, heaved a collective sigh of relief on her behalf.
But sources close to the couple are now cautiously optimistic of a reconciliation and say they have begun house-hunting in a bid to make a fresh go of things.
Friends also reckon another baby is not out of the question.
One told me: “The truth is, Annie doesn’t want to be with Kyle. She can’t forget the past.
“She can’t forget Lauryn and the two children he has had with her, but she can’t see a life without him either.
“She’s embarrassed. That’s why she won’t wear her wedding ring.
“But she and Kyle have been together since they were teenagers and they don’t know anything else.
“Kyle doesn’t want a divorce either, not least because of the financial implications.
“She would want half of his £30million fortune.
“So they’ve reached a stalemate. They aren’t happy, but the divorce has been kicked into the long grass.
“There’s been no mention of it for quite some time now.”
The couple’s decision to begin house-hunting is the clearest sign yet that they intend to give it another go.
Their £3.5million mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire, remains a painful reminder to Annie of the heartbreak she has suffered at the hands of the lying lothario.
LYING LOTHARIO
The source added: “There’s too many bad memories in that house.
“It’s where he proposed and where she found out about each baby with Lauryn.
“Moving house isn’t going to change any of that.
“No matter what happens from here on in they will never be able to have a fresh start because Lauryn is going nowhere.
“But the divorce has completely stalled and they’ve spent the summer holidaying together.
“They’re still arguing relentlessly but it’s become normalised and accepted in their relationship.
“They don’t know of any other way to live.”
Kyle and Annie bought the stunning six-bedroom pile from former Manchester City ace, Stephen Ireland, in 2019 and became neighbours of the Rooneys.
Annie has been busy collecting air miles with her former Man City player husband[/caption]
The couple’s decision to begin house-hunting is the clearest sign yet that they intend to give it another go[/caption]
Kyle’s second child with mistress Lauryn Goodman, a one-time Instagram influencer and now self-appointed online safety campaigner, appeared to be the final straw for Annie[/caption]
But not long after, Ex on the Beach TV reality star Laura Brown told how she and Kyle repeatedly romped in his £200,000 Bentley 4×4.
Fuming Annie, 33, kicked him out of the sprawling home but they got back together.
In 2020, he was given the boot again after Lauryn secretly gave birth to his son, Kairo.
Kyle moved into an £8,000-a-month flat nearby – but was caught breaching Covid lockdown rules by having an orgy with two hookers.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Annie said: “What he has done to me and our children is obscene.
“I can’t begin to put it into words.
“In late March last year he was unfaithful with a reality TV star.
“I found out a month later and was broken by it.
“He begged me to take him back but by July he was at it again.
“Not even three months later and someone was pregnant. My youngest was one. Who does that?
“I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again because of what he’s done.
“I’ve tried to hate him but how can I hate the man my kids love so much?
“I knew it was always a possibility Kyle would do it again but getting someone pregnant was my worst nightmare.”
What he has done to me and our children is obscene. I can’t begin to put it into words.
Annie Kilner in 2020
The couple miraculously stayed together against all the odds and Kyle proposed with a £250,000 ring – decking the hallway of their home in a floral arch.
They wed in secret in front of a handful of guests but less than a year later Lauryn, 35, was pregnant by him again.
Ironically, he was in London for groin surgery ahead of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 when the chance encounter presented itself.
She gave birth to a baby girl, Kinara, in July 2023 – as Kyle begged her not to reveal the truth to Annie.
He even considered quitting Manchester City for Bayern Munich in a desperate bid to avoid the looming scandal.
Annie hit the roof after the court papers revealed for the very first time the vast sums Kyle was shelling out to Lauryn[/caption]
Sources close to the couple are now cautiously optimistic of a reconciliation[/caption]
But on December 27, as he played for City in a 3-1 win against Everton at Goodison Park, Annie’s phone lit up with a message.
It read: “Hey it’s Lauryn. I just wanted to quickly tell you that Kyle is the father of our daughter.”
Annie, who was heavily pregnant at the time with the couple’s fourth son, announced their shock split two weeks later.
The £150,000-a-week player moved into a rented mansion close to their Cheshire home and in an exclusive interview with The Sun spoke of his shame.
He admitted: “What I’ve done is horrible and I take full responsibility.
“I made idiot choices and idiot decisions.”
Annie gave birth to their fourth son Rezon in April with Kyle at her bedside.
Weeks later she was in the stands to support him as England battled their way to back-to-back Euros finals in Germany.
But pictures of them together illustrated the huge gulf between them.
Kyle returned to the UK in the wake of a 2-1 defeat to Spain to a two day court hearing over money for his daughter.
COMMON FOE
A judge later concluded that Lauryn had used him as an “open ended chequebook” and preyed upon his desire to keep the paternity of Kinara a secret.
Friends of the couple said the legal battle had “galvanised” them against a common foe.
But Annie hit the roof after the court papers revealed for the very first time the vast sums Kyle was shelling out to Lauryn.
Kyle had increased her housing budget from £1.85million to £2.4million after she threatened to move within 10 minutes of his Cheshire home.
He paid £48,000 for fitted wardrobes and a media screen, £75,000 for a furnishing fund, £9,115 for 14 CCTV cameras, £5,650 for an alarm and £52,164 for curtains and a blind.
In late August, Kyle – banished in disgrace to the third floor annexe – heard the doorbell ring.
A judge later concluded that Lauryn had used Kyle as an ‘open ended chequebook’[/caption]
Annie gave birth to their fourth son Rezon in April 2024 with Kyle at her bedside[/caption]
He was not expecting anyone and was surprised to find a smartly-dressed man waiting nervously for him.
Few words were uttered, save for the briefest of introductions, before the footballer was handed an envelope.
He shut the door and walked back inside, opened it up and discovered Annie had filed for divorce.
As dishes go, it was stone cold.
Kyle, who won 17 major trophies with Manchester City during his career at the Etihad, escaped once again.
This time he found solace in Italy before a failed loan move with Serie A giants AC Milan saw him return to the UK.
He agreed a move to Everton but jumped at the chance to join the Clarets where his eldest son, Roman, is an academy player.
A century of England caps now beckons (he would be the first black player to achieve it) and his marriage appears to be back on track.
Against all the odds, he is now dreaming of the impossible.
