| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Nicol Walker[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1962-09-29)29 September 1962 (age 62) | ||
| Place of birth | Aberdeen, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Elgin City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1982 | Leicester City | 6 | (0) |
| 1982–1983 | Motherwell | 30 | (0) |
| 1983–1990 | Rangers | 75 | (0) |
| 1986–1987 | →Falkirk (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1987–1988 | →Dunfermline Athletic (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1990–1994 | Heart of Midlothian | 50 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | →Burnley (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 1994–1996 | Partick Thistle | 53 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Aberdeen | 19 | (0) |
| 1997–2001 | Ross County | 112 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 27 | (0) |
| Total | 379 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993–1996 | Scotland | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Joseph Nicol Walker (born 29 September 1962) is a Scottish former professionalfootballer, who played as agoalkeeper for several clubs in Scotland and England. Walker was selected for manyScotland squads during the 1990s, earning two international caps.
A product ofHighland League clubElgin City, Walker signed forLeicester City aged 17. He didn't settle in the Midlands though, and returned to Scotland within the year, signing forMotherwell in 1981. Two years later he signed forRangers, where he soon established himself as their first choice goalkeeper. The arrival ofChris Woods as part of theSouness revolution meant that Walker lost his place. Walker did play in the1987 Scottish League Cup Final against Aberdeen, which Rangers won after a penalty shoot-out, while injuries to Woods the following season also meant Walker deputised in twelve games to earn a Scottish League title medal.
Walker joinedHeart of Midlothian in a £125,000 deal in 1990. His time atTynecastle developed into a see-saw battle withHenry Smith for the starting goalkeeping role, both men earning international recognition when in the Hearts first team but enduring significant spells on the sidelines. Smith eventually won the duel and, after a loan spell withBurnley, Walker moved toPartick Thistle in 1994 in a part-exchange deal forCraig Nelson.
Firhill proved a happy home for Walker, and he enjoyed his most consistent period in the West ofGlasgow. When Thistle were relegated in 1996, his form was sufficient to earn a £60,000 move to high-flyingAberdeen. He leftPittodrie in 1999 after he was supplanted byDerek Stillie, winding down his career with short spells atRoss County andInverness Caledonian Thistle.
Walker earned two international caps forScotland, making his debut in a 1–0 defeat byGermany in 1993.[2] His only other appearance was three years later, against theUnited States.[3] Walker was selected as a reserve goalkeeper in the Scotland squad forUEFA Euro 1996.[4]
Walker's family company isWalkers Shortbread, based in the Speyside village ofAberlour,Morayshire, in north east Scotland. He joined the firm following his retirement from football, becoming adirector.[5][6]
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