Kyle Walker admits he had never contemplated featuring at his first World Cup as a centre-half rather than in his preferred right‑back berth but has pinned the credit for his smooth transition into the role on Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City defender, who missed the 2014 tournament in Brazil through injury, was first employed by Gareth Southgate as the right-sided of three centre-halves in England’s friendly success in the Netherlands in March. He has since played there against Italy and Nigeria at Wembley, and will start in the role in the opening group game, against Tunisia in Volgograd, on Monday.

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“I have been playing professionally since I was 18 at right-back, so to go to your first World Cup and probably not play in your preferred position where you want to showcase your talent, is … well, not disappointing but a little bit of a step back,” said Walker, an integral part of the City side who claimed the Premier League title with 100 points in his first year there. “I have to move on from it. I’m professional. I’ve played the game, I’m 28 now and, as long as the manager feels it is going to benefit the team, then why not?

“The position I am playing now for my country, at right centre-half, could I have played it two years ago? Probably not. It was comfortable for me because of the work I have done at Manchester City. My game has developed tremendously under Guardiola. He has taught me so much about the game: just managing the game, understanding the game, and knowing the players around you really. He doesn’t really like to be overloaded in midfield so, if he does see that, then I tuck in so we go as a back three.

“Is it my preferred position? Of course not. I want to play right-back. I have worked my whole life to get to where I am now in a World Cup squad, and to showcase my talent on this stage playing in ‘my’ position. But I’m a team player. I will do anything for the team. If the gaffer thinks the best way for me to help the team out is to play there, I am all for it.”

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Walker’s pace and eagerness to maraud forward from right wing-back, complemented by his then Tottenham Hotspur club-mate Danny Rose on the other flank, was one of the few pluses from England’s underwhelming Euro 2016 campaign. The team benefit from his speed in their back three but Walker has to temper that instinct to push upfield in the new role.

“It is about reading the game. I don’t want to leave space at the back for the opposition to exploit on a counterattack. I’m a defender first and foremost, and if I’m playing right centre-half I am even more of a defender than the wing-backs. If I can get forward I am sure you will see me up there. I have to be professional and manage the game correctly.”

The integration of Walker – who insists England are “stronger mentally” for the trauma of elimination by Iceland at the European Championship two years ago – into the back three has offered Kieran Trippier of Spurs a route into the starting lineup. “We do a lot of tactical work with the manager,” the defender said. “The system we want to play is a 3-5-2, and we work on it a lot. [The assistant manager] Steve Holland has been excellent with the distances, when to press, because if you press at the wrong time in a 3-5-2 you can get picked off, particularly at this level and especially as a wing-back because we are so high and wide.

“If they turn over the ball and counter us, they have a lot of space in the right area to exploit. But we’ve got Walks back there who’s fast and powerful – he can eat ground up. You just have to be careful, and that’s what we work extremely hard at on the training pitch. You know what your roles are, the manager drills it into you, and that’s very important.

“The pace we have in this team is unbelievable, added to the youth and the goals the lads have scored this season for their clubs. We want to hurt teams in the pockets, try to get the lads on the ball. We are going there to do our thing and try and win.”