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The 2014-15 I-League will see one marquee foreigner in each club and for champions Bengaluru FC their big-name import will be former England U-20 World Cup captain Joshua Walker.
Walker’s career hasn’t gone the way he would have like as despite captaining England at several age-group levels he never got close to the senior national team and spent most of his career in the lower divisions of English football.
But the central midfielder is determined to prove himself again and thus decided to join this new venture in Indian football.
“It was a massive honour to captain England and I enjoyed my time there. The farthest I ever got was on the stand-by list of the English under-21 squad. After that, I’ll be honest, I didn’t reach the potential I showed as a youngster. I wanted to run before I could walk. I was impatient.
“But that’s why I wanted to come here and prove to everyone that I am the player I was. I want to make the future bright and that is why I am at Bengaluru FC,” Walker was quoted saying on Bengaluru’s official website.
A product of the Middlesbrough youth system, Walker made seven appearances for the club in the English Premier League and thus knows fellow Boro youth product and Bengaluru FC defender John Johnson for a long time.
He revealed that one meeting with Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood was enough to convince him of joining the Indian club.
“I’ve known John (Johnson) for a while and he’s only had good things to say about the club. The coach ran the thought by me and when I met him, there was only one place I wanted to come. I knew I was joining the champions of India and there was no better place to be,” the 25-year-old stated.
Walker even has the distinction of scoring against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup during his loan spell with Scottish club Aberdeen. The Englishman will now be playing in a country that is placed 151st in the FIFA Rankings but he doesn’t have any regrets about his career and wants to make the most of this new challenge.
“I’ve always wanted to play in a foreign country and in Bengaluru FC I have found my chance. Things in my career may not have gone according to plan but circumstances were different. However, I don’t regret anything. We can always look back and say ‘what if’. But that’s hindsight. I wouldn’t be here if I wished things were different,” he said.
It has been only a week at Bengaluru FC but Walker has so far enjoyed his time at the JSW-owned club and doesn’t rule out staying here for a long time.
“I liked what I saw. My teammates have been welcoming and even people on the streets are nice. They want to chat to you. I’m playing with good players and if we can help each other, we can push on together. I hope to be here for many years. This will be my team,” he concluded.
