Ian Walker

Ian Michael Walker (born October 31, 1971 in Watford) is an England football (soccer) currently playing for Bolton Wanderers F.C..

Biography

Walker is the son of former Wales goalkeeper, and Norwich City F.C. and Everton F.C. manager Mike Walker (football manager).

Walker was for many years the primary goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur F.C., starting out with them as a trainee and having two loan spells, for Ipswich Town F.C. and Oxford United F.C.. Walker made 240 premiership appearances for Tottenham, but was transferred to Leicester City F.C. in July 2001 for £2,500,000, after the signing of Neil Sullivan.

It was with his time with spurs he earned the nick name Ian Walker Texas Ranger due to his no-nonsense attitude to the game.

Walker spent four years at Leicester before being released on 6 May 2005 and joining Bolton on a one year contract. In May 2006 Walker was rewarded for his patience in not playing a single league game by being given a further two year contract.

International

Walker has been capped for the England national football team four times, making his debut in 1996 against Hungary national football team. His most infamous game was against Italy in a qualification match for the 1998 World Cup where he is widely believed to have been at fault to a Gianfranco Zola strike. England lost this game to Italy 1:0 at Wembley Stadium. He backed up David James (footballer) at 2004 European Football Championship but has now been overtaken by Paul Robinson (goalkeeper), David James (footballer), Robert Green, Scott Carson, Ben Foster (footballer) and Chris Kirkland in the pecking order. He has said to lots of people that he would love to go back to England 1 more time, even if it was a friendly.

Personal life

Walker and his former Page Three wife Suzi lived in a mock-Tudor mansion in Cobham, Surrey . After the birth of daughter Sophie in 1998, Suzi suffered Childbirth Eclampsia , and is an on-going sufferer of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

In November 2006, Suzi admitted Walker had met dancer Samantha Thurman, 33, from Miami on a property investment trip to Las Vegas, Nevada in May. Walker has had little contact with his family since, and Suzi supported through her illness by her parents, is now reportedly seeking a divorce . Walker is attending the Sporting Chance Clinic, set up by ex-Arsenal captain Tony Adams (footballer), to solve his current Clinical depression problem .

Trivia

- Walker was the Bolton goalkeeper for their first ever European match away from England against Bulgarian team PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv

- The 1996 edition of the Merlin Premiership Sticker Annual listed Walker's special skill as "the ability to change direction in mid-air".