Where Are They Now?: Tottenham XI vs Man United – August 1997

Goalkeeper: Ian Walker

Then: The Spurs number one was knocking on the door for England during the 1997-1998 season. He had been at the club since his schoolboy years and, if it wasn’t for the the impressive form of Arsenal’s David Seaman, he probably would have had more chance of cementing his place as Glenn Hoddle’s undisputed number one. However, Walker’s clumsy nature also counted against him. During a 1998 World Cup qualifying game against Italy at Wembley, he was lambasted by the media for his hand in allowing Gianfranco Zola to score the winner.

Now: 43-year-old Walker is currently the goalkeeping coach at Chinese Super League side, Shanghai East Asia. In terms of his Tottenham career, Walker left the club in 2001 after losing his place in the side to the more dependable Neil Sullivan. His improved form at Leicester City saw him reclaim his place in the England set-up after more than seven years. However, it was short lived and Walker eventually retired from the game in 2008. He had a brief period as Bishop Stortford’s manager in 2011 and, in 2012, moved his life out to China.

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