On Thursday, the 13th of November ’08, a young and unknown Sheffield United youth team graduate, Kyle Walker, was shipped out on loan to gain his first taste of first team football.
His destination was Sixfields Stadium, home to Northampton Town. It was to no surprise that one day, Walker would pull on the three lions’ shirt, after just nine appearances in claret and white.
Making his full international debut, the former Town loanee was deservedly named man of the match, as England tore apart the reigning world and european champions Spain 1-0 last week.
It was one great bit of buisness from then Cobblers boss Stuart Gray, that proved pivotal for Spurs’ first team regular, who quickly established himself as an important squad member on his return to Brammal Lane..
Talking to London’s Evening Standard, Walker spoke on his time at Northampton, and quite incidentally, mentioned what the current Town side desperately lack, who linger dangerously close to the non-league trapdoor.
Walker said.. ‘there were players there whose mortgages were on the line and winning football matches made it easier for them to look after their families.’
‘You could tell how passionate some of the senior players were by what they did to hang on to the result if we were winning, chucking themselves in front of everything to stop the ball going in.’
‘You have to remember that professional football is a job, too, and some people have to get results on the pitch to pay to live. If you’re lucky enough to get into a Premier League or Championship team straight away, well done to you, but I feel really grateful for the experience that I had at the lower end.’
It was also en-route to Northampton, which also made Walker a man, who explained..
‘I’d never driven on the motorway before, so I had to follow my mum and dad down the M1,’ Walker added, ‘My dad was petrified of me driving on the motorway and thought I was going to kill myself or something!’
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