Josh Walker
Encyclopedia
Joshua "Josh" Walker is an English
footballer. He currently plays as a midfielder
for Championship
side Watford
.
Walker started his career at Middlesbrough
, progressing through the club's youth academy and was part of the club's FA Youth Cup
winning team in 2004. He subsequently made his first-team debut for Middlesbrough in 2006, and made a handful of appearances during his four year profressional tenure at the club. During his time at Middlesbrough, Walker was loaned out on four separate occasions, playing for Football League clubs in the form of Bournemouth
, Northampton Town
, and Rotherham United
respectively, as well as Scottish Premier League
outfit Aberdeen
.
He was released by Middlesbrough at the start of the 2010–11 season, and joined Championship
side Watford on a free transfer in August 2010. Walker made four appearances for Watford, before joining Stevenage on loan in November 2010. He then rejoined Northampton Town on loan in January 2011. In August 2011, Walker joined Stevenage on loan for a second time.
's productive youth academy along with the likes of Stewart Downing
, Adam Johnson, David Wheater
, Lee Cattermole
, Stuart Parnaby
, Jonathan Franks
and James Morrison
. Having been part of Middlesbrough's FA Youth Cup
winning team of 2003–04, Walker made his first team debut, scoring the final goal in a 4–2 friendly victory over Carlisle United in July 2005. His league debut came on the last game of the 2005–06
season, when Middlesbrough fielded a team largely filled with academy graduates in a 1–0 defeat to Fulham
.
During the 2008–09 season, Walker came on as a substitute in Middlesbrough's 5–1 home win over Yeovil Town
in the League Cup
. In January 2009, he started his first game for the club, playing the whole 90 minutes in the club's 2–1 FA Cup
victory against Barrow
. His performance led to him starting once more the following week, in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland
in the Tees–Wear derby. Just four days later, Walker was ruled out for six weeks after tests showed torn lateral ligaments. In February 2009, after impressing Gareth Southgate
, Walker signed a new two year contracting, keeping him at Middlesbrough until 2011. In total, Walker featured nine times during the club's 2008–09 campaign. The following season, Walker did not play in the first-team until February 2010, when he started in Middlesbrough's 1–0 home win over Peterborough United
– after injuries forced Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan
to play Walker. It was to be his only appearance of the season for the club, and admitted he "could still be on his way out". Surprisingly, Walker remained at the club ahead of the 2010–11 season, and he started in the club's 2–1 away win at Chesterfield
in the League Cup. However, just ten days later, Walker was allowed to leave the club, and joined fellow Championship
side Watford
on a free transfer.
season, Walker signed on a month's loan for Bournemouth
. He made his debut for Bournemouth in a 3–1 away loss at Northampton Town
, and played in a further five games as Bournemouth narrowly avoided relegation. He returned to Middlesbrough in April 2007 to see if his future lie at the club, and also expressed an interest in joining Bournemouth "if Middlesbrough were interested".
Walker joined Aberdeen
on 29 January 2008, where he was on loan till the end of the 2007–08 season. It was announced shortly afterwards that he had signed a new one year contract with Middlesbrough, keeping him at the club until June 2009. Walker scored his first career goal while on loan at Aberdeen on 14 February 2008 against Bayern Munich
in the UEFA Cup
Round of 32. Walker played 13 games in all competitions for Aberdeen, scoring once, before returning to his parent club in May 2008.
On 19 November 2009, Walker joined Northampton Town
on loan until January 2010, but the loan spell was cut short due to injury. He made just one appearance for the club, playing the whole match in a 2–2 draw at home to Crewe Alexandra
.
In February 2010, Walker was loaned to League Two
side Rotherham United
on an initial month's loan, making his debut in a 1–0 win against Burton Albion
at the Pirelli Stadium
. He scored his first goal for Rotherham in the club's 2–1 away defeat to Accrington Stanley
. Just four days later, he was on the scoresheet again, this time scoring the only goal of the game from 25 yards as Rotherham beat Bury
1–0. On 25 March 2010, his loan deal was extended until the end of the 2009–10 season. Walker played 15 times for Rotherham, scoring three goals. He played his last game for the club in a 0–0 draw with Crewe Alexandra, before returning to his parent club in May 2010.
on a free transfer, signing a two year contract, with Watford having the option on a third year. He made his Watford debut a day after joining the club, coming on as a 76th minute substitute in a 0–0 draw away at Hull City
. Walker also came on as a late substitute in three more games in September 2010, including in Watford's 3–1 victory against his former employers, Middlesbrough. Having made just four substitute appearances for Watford, Walker said "If I'm being honest, I expected to do more than I have done at Watford, I still believe I should have played a lot more than I have so far".
In November 2010, Walker joined League Two
side Stevenage on loan until January 2011. He made his Stevenage debut just a day after signing for the club, starting in Stevenage's televised FA Cup
tie away at AFC Wimbledon
. It was to be a scoring debut for Walker, scoring a free-kick that went in off the post to give Stevenage the lead in a 2–0 victory. He made his first league appearance for Stevenage in the club's 1–0 home loss to Northampton Town
in December 2010, a game in which Walker hit the crossbar from a free-kick. Despite being due to stay at Stevenage until the beginning of January 2011, Walker was recalled by his parent club Watford on 23 December, in order to provide cover for the injured Stephen McGinn
. Walker made two appearances for Stevenage, scoring one goal, as his loan spell at the club was disrupted by fixture postponements. Walker re-joined League Two side Northampton Town on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season in January 2011. Walker had previously played for Northampton during the 2009–10 campaign. He made his second debut for the club on 1 February, playing the whole game as Northampton beat Crewe Alexandra
6–2 at Sixfields
. Walker made 19 appearances for Northampton as the club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing five points above the relegation zone.
Walker returned to Watford ahead of the 2011–12 season, under new management in the form of Sean Dyche
. He made his first appearance of the season in Watford's 0–0 away draw against Coventry City
, coming on as an 89th minute substitute. Three days later, on 23 August, Walker started in the club's 1–1 League Cup
fixture against Bristol Rovers
, a game which the club lost on penalties. A week after Walker's first starting appearance of the 2011–12 season, he signed for Stevenage on loan until January 2012. It was announced that Walker's loan deal was made with a view to a permanent move come the January transfer window
. He made his second debut for the club on 3 September, coming on as a substitute in a 4–2 home win against Rochdale
. Walker scored his first goal for Stevenage during his second spell at the club on 1 October, coming on as a 90th minute substitute and scoring two minutes later in a 2–1 defeat to Scunthorpe United
. After making just six substitute appearances for Stevenage in all competitions, Walker's loan spell with the club was cut short, with the player returning to Watford on 17 November 2011.
's U16
and U17
and U20
teams. Walker was part of England's 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
squad, captaining the side in all three of England's games.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer. He currently plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
.
Walker started his career at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, progressing through the club's youth academy and was part of the club's FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
winning team in 2004. He subsequently made his first-team debut for Middlesbrough in 2006, and made a handful of appearances during his four year profressional tenure at the club. During his time at Middlesbrough, Walker was loaned out on four separate occasions, playing for Football League clubs in the form of Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, and Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
respectively, as well as Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
outfit Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
.
He was released by Middlesbrough at the start of the 2010–11 season, and joined Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Watford on a free transfer in August 2010. Walker made four appearances for Watford, before joining Stevenage on loan in November 2010. He then rejoined Northampton Town on loan in January 2011. In August 2011, Walker joined Stevenage on loan for a second time.
Middlesbrough
Walker was a graduate of the MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
's productive youth academy along with the likes of Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing
Stewart Downing is an English footballer who plays for Liverpool and the England national team. Primarily a winger, Downing has previously played for Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.-Middlesbrough:...
, Adam Johnson, David Wheater
David Wheater
David James Wheater is an English footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers. He is a centre back, although he is capable of playing at right back as well.-Middlesbrough:...
, Lee Cattermole
Lee Cattermole
Lee Barry Cattermole is an English professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League. His preferred position is in central midfield in front of the back four and he is known for his tough-tackling midfield play.-Early life:Cattermole was...
, Stuart Parnaby
Stuart Parnaby
Stuart Parnaby is an English footballer who plays as a right back.Parnaby graduated from Middlesbrough F.C.'s Academy, which was run by his father, Dave. He went on to make more than 100 appearances for Middlesbrough's first team before joining Birmingham City in 2007...
, Jonathan Franks
Jonathan Franks
Jonathan Ian Franks is an English footballer, currently playing for Middlesbrough.-Career:Franks has represented England at all levels from under-16 through to under-19, the highlight of which was playing for England under-17s against Wales in Telford when he found the back of the net...
and James Morrison
James Morrison (footballer)
James Clark Morrison is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. His ability to run with the ball at pace makes him an effective option through the middle, as an attacking midfielder, or more often as a right winger...
. Having been part of Middlesbrough's FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
winning team of 2003–04, Walker made his first team debut, scoring the final goal in a 4–2 friendly victory over Carlisle United in July 2005. His league debut came on the last game of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season, when Middlesbrough fielded a team largely filled with academy graduates in a 1–0 defeat to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
.
During the 2008–09 season, Walker came on as a substitute in Middlesbrough's 5–1 home win over Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. In January 2009, he started his first game for the club, playing the whole 90 minutes in the club's 2–1 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
victory against Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
. His performance led to him starting once more the following week, in a 1–1 draw with Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in the Tees–Wear derby. Just four days later, Walker was ruled out for six weeks after tests showed torn lateral ligaments. In February 2009, after impressing Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
, Walker signed a new two year contracting, keeping him at Middlesbrough until 2011. In total, Walker featured nine times during the club's 2008–09 campaign. The following season, Walker did not play in the first-team until February 2010, when he started in Middlesbrough's 1–0 home win over Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
– after injuries forced Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
to play Walker. It was to be his only appearance of the season for the club, and admitted he "could still be on his way out". Surprisingly, Walker remained at the club ahead of the 2010–11 season, and he started in the club's 2–1 away win at Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
in the League Cup. However, just ten days later, Walker was allowed to leave the club, and joined fellow Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on a free transfer.
Loan moves
Towards the latter stages of the 2006–072006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season, Walker signed on a month's loan for Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
. He made his debut for Bournemouth in a 3–1 away loss at Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, and played in a further five games as Bournemouth narrowly avoided relegation. He returned to Middlesbrough in April 2007 to see if his future lie at the club, and also expressed an interest in joining Bournemouth "if Middlesbrough were interested".
Walker joined Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
on 29 January 2008, where he was on loan till the end of the 2007–08 season. It was announced shortly afterwards that he had signed a new one year contract with Middlesbrough, keeping him at the club until June 2009. Walker scored his first career goal while on loan at Aberdeen on 14 February 2008 against Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
Round of 32. Walker played 13 games in all competitions for Aberdeen, scoring once, before returning to his parent club in May 2008.
On 19 November 2009, Walker joined Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
on loan until January 2010, but the loan spell was cut short due to injury. He made just one appearance for the club, playing the whole match in a 2–2 draw at home to Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
.
In February 2010, Walker was loaned to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
on an initial month's loan, making his debut in a 1–0 win against Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
at the Pirelli Stadium
Pirelli Stadium
The Pirelli Stadium is an association football stadium on Princess Way in Burton upon Trent, East Staffordshire, England. It was built in 2005 and is the current home of Burton Albion F.C., replacing the club's old Eton Park home, also on Princess Way, which was demolished and developed into housing...
. He scored his first goal for Rotherham in the club's 2–1 away defeat to Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C.
Accrington Stanley is an English association football club from Accrington in Lancashire, in the North West of England, who play in Football League Two, the fourth-highest division in the English football league system....
. Just four days later, he was on the scoresheet again, this time scoring the only goal of the game from 25 yards as Rotherham beat Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
1–0. On 25 March 2010, his loan deal was extended until the end of the 2009–10 season. Walker played 15 times for Rotherham, scoring three goals. He played his last game for the club in a 0–0 draw with Crewe Alexandra, before returning to his parent club in May 2010.
Watford
In August 2010, Walker signed for WatfordWatford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on a free transfer, signing a two year contract, with Watford having the option on a third year. He made his Watford debut a day after joining the club, coming on as a 76th minute substitute in a 0–0 draw away at Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
. Walker also came on as a late substitute in three more games in September 2010, including in Watford's 3–1 victory against his former employers, Middlesbrough. Having made just four substitute appearances for Watford, Walker said "If I'm being honest, I expected to do more than I have done at Watford, I still believe I should have played a lot more than I have so far".
In November 2010, Walker joined League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Stevenage on loan until January 2011. He made his Stevenage debut just a day after signing for the club, starting in Stevenage's televised FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie away at AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
. It was to be a scoring debut for Walker, scoring a free-kick that went in off the post to give Stevenage the lead in a 2–0 victory. He made his first league appearance for Stevenage in the club's 1–0 home loss to Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
in December 2010, a game in which Walker hit the crossbar from a free-kick. Despite being due to stay at Stevenage until the beginning of January 2011, Walker was recalled by his parent club Watford on 23 December, in order to provide cover for the injured Stephen McGinn
Stephen McGinn
Stephen McGinn is a Scottish professional association football player currently playing for English Football League Championship side Watford.-Career:...
. Walker made two appearances for Stevenage, scoring one goal, as his loan spell at the club was disrupted by fixture postponements. Walker re-joined League Two side Northampton Town on loan until the end of the 2010–11 season in January 2011. Walker had previously played for Northampton during the 2009–10 campaign. He made his second debut for the club on 1 February, playing the whole game as Northampton beat Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
6–2 at Sixfields
Sixfields Stadium
Sixfields Stadium is a 7,653-capacity all-seater sports stadium in Northampton, England. It has been the home ground of Northampton Town Football Club following their move from the County Ground in October 1994....
. Walker made 19 appearances for Northampton as the club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing five points above the relegation zone.
Walker returned to Watford ahead of the 2011–12 season, under new management in the form of Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche is an English former footballer. Dyche played for six clubs in his career, with his longest spell being with Chesterfield. He is currently the manager at Watford having previously been assistant manager to Malky Mackay. Dyche cites current Sheffield Wednesday manager Gary Megson as an...
. He made his first appearance of the season in Watford's 0–0 away draw against Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, coming on as an 89th minute substitute. Three days later, on 23 August, Walker started in the club's 1–1 League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
fixture against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, a game which the club lost on penalties. A week after Walker's first starting appearance of the 2011–12 season, he signed for Stevenage on loan until January 2012. It was announced that Walker's loan deal was made with a view to a permanent move come the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. He made his second debut for the club on 3 September, coming on as a substitute in a 4–2 home win against Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. Walker scored his first goal for Stevenage during his second spell at the club on 1 October, coming on as a 90th minute substitute and scoring two minutes later in a 2–1 defeat to Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. After making just six substitute appearances for Stevenage in all competitions, Walker's loan spell with the club was cut short, with the player returning to Watford on 17 November 2011.
International career
Walker captained EnglandEngland national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
's U16
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
and U17
England national under-17 football team
-Elite Qualifying Group 3:-Group stage:-Fifth place play-off:-FA International U17 Tournament:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship qualifying round....
and U20
England national under-20 football team
- Round of 16 :-Friendlies:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup running from 29 July to the 20 August 2011.-Recent call-ups:...
teams. Walker was part of England's 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, was the 17th U-20 tournament, which was hosted by Egypt from 24 September to 16 October, in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Suez and Ismaïlia...
squad, captaining the side in all three of England's games.
Honours
Middlesbrough- FA Youth CupFA Youth CupThe Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
(1): 2003–04