Walker’s slip up no laughing matter

England defender Kyle Walker will not face any disciplinary action after he was pictured taking nitrous oxide, the English FA has confirmed.

The pictures, taken this summer, appeared in a newspaper yesterday triggering an apology from the Tottenham fullback.

However, Walker will not face any disciplinary action from the FA over the pictures. “Kyle Walker has expressed his regret for an error of judgement when inhaling nitrous oxide earlier this year,” said an FA statement.

“Kyle has accepted this mistake. He will not face any action under the England player code of conduct.”

While the substance is not illegal, the dangers of nitrous oxide have been pointed out by medical professionals.

England boss Roy Hodgson has spoken to Walker about his conduct and has been assured it will not be repeated.

“The FA and England manager have spoken to Kyle about the matter and he has assured us it will not happen again,” continued the FA statement.

“Inhaling nitrous oxide is not illegal but we recognise the associated dangers.

"The FA and England manager will not be making any further comment on this matter and will be focussing their full attention tomorrow's match with Ukraine. "

Walker is a certain starter in Kiev due to injuries to Glen Johnson and Phil Jones, Hodgson could have done without the distraction. Yet it does raise questions over whether the players’ code of conduct, announced last year amid much fanfare by former FA chairman David Bernstein, is going to be enforced as rigidly as initially expected.

For, whilst Walker has not broken any laws, it is difficult to see how his conduct was befitting of an England player.