 Walton with Ipswich Town in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Timothy Walton[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-11-09)9 November 1995 (age 29)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Wadebridge,Cornwall, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[2][3] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ipswich Town | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2013 | Plymouth Argyle | ||
| 2013 | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2022 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 | (0) |
| 2015 | →Bury (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Plymouth Argyle (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | →Luton Town (loan) | 27 | (0) |
| 2017 | →Southend United (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 31 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | →Wigan Athletic (loan) | 34 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | →Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 46 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | →Ipswich Town (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2022– | Ipswich Town | 73 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2014 | England U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | England U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2016 | England U21 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:13, 25 January 2025 (UTC) | |||
Christian Timothy Walton (born 9 November 1995) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forPremier League clubIpswich Town.
Walton began his professional career atBrighton & Hove Albion after graduating from the club's academy, having previously been in the academy atPlymouth Argyle for eight years.[4] During his time at Brighton, Walton spent multiple spells out on loan in theFootball League. He had loan spells atBury, Plymouth Argyle,Luton Town,Southend United,Wigan Athletic,Blackburn Rovers andIpswich Town. On 19 January 2022, Walton ended his nine-year spell at Brighton to sign permanently for Ipswich Town.[5]
He has represented England atunder-19,under-20 andunder-21 levels.[6]
Born inWadebridge, Cornwall,[1] Walton began his career withPlymouth Argyle aged 10 and progressed through the club'syouth system.[7] He was named in a matchday squad for the first time three days after his 16th birthday for anFA Cup first round tie againstStourbridge, in which he remained an unusedsubstitute, the match finishing 3–3.[8][9]
On 15 February 2013, Walton signed forChampionship clubBrighton & Hove Albion, where he completed his scholarship, before signing a three-year professional contract in the summer of 2013.[7] He was twice an unused substitute in consecutive matches in the2013–14 season, a 3–1 win at home toLeicester City on 7 December,[10] prior to a 1–0 win away toMiddlesbrough one week later.[11] Ahead of the2014–15 season, Walton signed a new four-year contract with the club on 8 July 2014.[12] He was an unused substitute on the opening day of the season in a 0–1 defeat at home toSheffield Wednesday.[13]
Walton made his professional debut for Brighton aged 18 in a 0–2 defeat away toTottenham Hotspur in theLeague Cup fourth round on 29 October 2014.[14] He made hisFootball League debut six days later in a 1–0 win at home toWigan Athletic.[15] Walton made his second consecutive start in a 1–1 draw at home toBlackburn Rovers on 8 November.[16] He returned to thestarting lineup on the final day of the season in a 0–0 draw away to Middlesbrough, his first appearance since November.[17] In addition to his four appearances for Brighton, Walton also kept twoclean sheets.[18]
On 21 July 2015, Walton signed for newly promotedLeague One clubBury on a season-longloan.[18] He made his debut for Bury in a 1–1 draw at home toDoncaster Rovers on the opening day of the2015–16 season.[19] Walton returned to Brighton on 1 September due to an underlying groin injury, having made six appearances for Bury.[20]
On 19 November 2015, Walton joined former club Plymouth Argyle on loan until 3 January 2016 as cover for the injuredLuke McCormick.[21] He made his Plymouth debut in a 1–2 defeat at home to arch-rivalsExeter City two days later.[22] Walton started in three further matches, and returned to Brighton upon the expiration of his loan spell.[23]
On 24 June 2016, Walton signed forLeague Two clubLuton Town on a season-long loan, linking back up withNathan Jones who wasfirst-team coach for his first three years at Brighton.[24] He made his Luton debut on the opening day of the2016–17 season in a 3–0 win away to Plymouth Argyle.[25] Walton saved apenalty fromVadaine Oliver during a 0–0 draw away toNotts County on 29 October to keep a clean sheet for Luton, which extended the club's unbeaten league run to seven matches and earned him a place in the English Football League Team of the Week.[26] He was recalled by Brighton on 31 January 2017 following an injury to fellow goalkeeperNiki Mäenpää, having made 33 appearances for Luton and conceded the fewest goals in League Two during his loan spell.[27]
On 1 April 2017, Walton signed for League One clubSouthend United on an emergency loan for an initial seven days as cover forTed Smith who had sustained a wrist injury.[28][29] He debuted later that day in a 3–0 victory at home toOldham Athletic.[30] It was agreed for Walton's loan to be extended by a further week as the club were still without a fit goalkeeper.[31] The goalkeeping situation remained unchanged and therefore the loan was extended by a further week once more.[32] Walton's loan was extended again to enable him to play in Southend's final match of2016–17,[33] and completed the loan spell with seven appearances.[34]
On 12 July 2017, Walton signed for League One club Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan.[35] He made his debut for Wigan on the opening day of the2017–18 season in a 1–0 victory away toMilton Keynes Dons.[36] Walton finished the loan with 35 appearances,[36] as Wigan won the League One title andpromotion to the Championship.[37] He also featured in Wigan's run to the quarter-finals of the2017–18 FA Cup, playing and keeping clean sheets in a 2–0 win overPremier League sideWest Ham United in the fourth round and a 1–0 win against eventual Premier League championsManchester City in the fifth round, as well as playing in Wigan's 0–2 quarter-final loss toSouthampton.[36]
He re-signed for Wigan on 22 June 2018 on another season-long loan until June 2019, with a recall option in January.[38][39] Walton played in Wigan's first game back in the Championship on 4 August 2018 in a 3–2 home victory over Sheffield Wednesday.[40] Parent club Brighton did not take up the option to recall Walton in January. On 22 April 2019 Walton kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 home win over local rivals,Preston North End which secured Wigan's Championship status.[41]
Walton joined another Championship club, Blackburn Rovers, on 23 July 2019 on loan for the2019–20 season.[42] Walton played in the opening game of the season making his debut in a 1–2 home loss toCharlton Athletic.[43] Walton played in all 46 league matches of the season where Blackburn finished 11th in the table.[44]
Walton played in Brighton'spre season friendly againstChelsea on 29 August 2020 where he came on as a half time substitute forMathew Ryan. However, he injured his ankle after an awkward landing from a save and was stretchered off and replaced byRobert Sánchez in an eventual 1–1 home draw.[45][46] On 13 January 2021, Walton made a Premier League match day squad for the first time being named on the bench in the 0–1 away loss at Manchester City.[47] He made his first appearance for Brighton in over five-and-a-half years on 23 January, playing in the 2–1fourth round FA Cup home victory overBlackpool.[48] He played in Brighton's fifth round tie almost three weeks later on 10 February conceding a 90+4 minute header fromKelechi Iheanacho to knock Brighton out in the 0–1 away loss at Leicester City.[49] He was on the bench for 8 Premier League games during the2020–21 season without making a league appearance.[50]
He was on the bench in Brighton's 2–0 away victory overCardiff City in theEFL Cup second round on 24 August, inAlbions' third game of the2021–22 season.[51]
On 30 August 2021, Walton joinedIpswich Town on a season-long loan, marking his eighth loan and seventh loan club during his time at Brighton.[52] He made his debut on 11 September, a home game againstBolton which ended in a 2–5 defeat for Ipswich Town.[53] Prior to Ipswich's next match againstLincoln City he picked up an adductor injury which ruled him out of action for over a month.[54] He made his second appearance for the club on 19 October after the spell out injured, keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 away victory overPortsmouth.[55] He quickly established himself as the first choice keeper at Ipswich after returning from his Injury, featuring regularly in the league and also in the FA Cup, playing in the first round match against Oldham Athletic and saving a penalty in the match to take the tie to a replay following a 1–1 draw,[56] whilst also starting in the replay with the match ending in a 2–1 away win for Ipswich.[57] Walton also played in the 0–0 second round FA Cup draw at home against League Two sideBarrow on 4 December, in which managerPaul Cook was later dismissed.[58] He played in the replay on 15 December in which Ipswich lost 0–2 at Barrow and were knocked out of the competition.[59]
On 19 January 2022, having established himself as the club's first choice keeper, Walton's loan was made permanent with him signing a2+1⁄2-year contract.[5]
He continued to feature as Ipswich's first choice keeper following the arrival of new managerKieran McKenna. He made 38 appearances during his first season at Ipswich, keeping 15 clean sheets, including setting a new club record for the length of time without the team conceding a goal, surpassing the previous record of 547 minutes.[60]
Walton took the number 1 shirt for the2022–23 season.[61] On 3 June 2024, Ipswich announced that they had triggered the one-year extension in Walton's contract.[62] On 17 August, following a calf injury to first choice goalkeeperArijanet Muric,[63] Walton started Ipswich's first Premier League game of the2024–25 season, a 0–2 loss toLiverpool.[64] On 30 December, Walton made his second Premier League appearance for Ipswich in a 2–0 home victory overChelsea.[65]
Walton was called up to theEngland under-19 team for afriendly againstTurkey on 5 March 2014.[66] He entered the match as a 76th-minute substitute forMitchell Beeney, the match finishing a 3–0 win.[67] Walton received his first call-up to theEngland under-20 team for a friendly againstRomania,[68] in which he won his firstcap.[69] He was first called up to theEngland under-21 team on 25 August 2015 for their matches against theUnited States under-23 team andNorway under-21 team.[70] However, he was forced to withdraw from the squad six days later after sustaining a groin injury playing for Bury in a 1–1 draw with Oldham Athletic.[71]
Walton received his next under-21 call-up on 3 October 2016 for two2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches againstKazakhstan andBosnia and Herzegovina.[72] He won his first cap and kept aclean sheet in England's 5–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on 11 October.[73]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2013–14[74] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014–15[75] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16[76] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17[34] | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21[50] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Bury (loan) | 2015–16[76] | League One | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Plymouth Argyle (loan) | 2015–16[76] | League Two | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Luton Town (loan) | 2016–17[34] | League Two | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Southend United (loan) | 2016–17[34] | League One | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2017–18[36] | League One | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| 2018–19[77] | Championship | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | ||
| Total | 107 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers (loan) | 2019–20[78] | Championship | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 46 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town (loan) | 2021–22[79] | League One | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Ipswich Town | 2021–22[79] | League One | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23[80] | League One | 46 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[81] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25[82] | Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 87 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 238 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 262 | 0 | ||
Wigan Athletic
Ipswich Town
Individual
