Nathan Walker (footballer)
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nathan Barry Walker | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 January 2006[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wellington Phoenix | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 41 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| Bucklands Beach AFC | |||||||||||||||||
| Onehunga Sports | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Auckland United | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Fencibles United | 24 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Wellington Phoenix FC Reserves | 16 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Wellington Phoenix | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | New Zealand U17 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | New Zealand U20 | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 December 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
Nathan Barry Walker (born 30 January 2006) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a winger for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men.
Early life
Walker was born in Auckland in 2006. His father is former New Zealand international cricketer Brooke Walker.[3] Walker played for Bucklands Beach AFC, Onehunga Sports, Auckland United, and Fencibles United before joining the Wellington Phoenix Academy in early 2024.[2] He was educated at Macleans College.[4]
Club career
After joining the Phoenix Academy, Walker made 16 appearances and scored four goals for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the 2024 Central League.[1]
He made his senior Wellington Phoenix debut in an Australia Cup match against South Melbourne on 6 August 2024. The Phoenix lost 1–0 at Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne.[5]
Walker was unexpectedly called up to play his first A-League Men match on 20 October 2024 in a home match against Western United. Sam Sutton, Marco Rojas, Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues and Stefan Colakovski were all unavailable to play, leading Phoenix manager Giancarlo Italiano to call up Walker to debut for the season opener. The match ended in a 1–1 draw.[6] On 31 October 2024, Walker signed a 4-year contract with the club, the first two of which are on scholarship terms.[2]
International career
Walker played in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup for New Zealand, playing in all three matches.[1]
In 2024, Walker was called up to the New Zealand under-19 squad to play in the OFC U-19 Men's Championship.[7] Walker played in four of the five matches, scoring one goal against Papua New Guinea, and winning the championship.[1]
Honours
New Zealand U20
References
- ^ a b c d "Nathan Walker". Wellington Phoenix. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Nix secure young Auckland winger on multi-year deal". Wellington Phoenix. 31 October 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ a b Pisani, Sacha. "Wellington Phoenix sign 'one of Auckland's brightest talents' in latest Derby week jab". A-Leagues. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Macleans College student gains selection for New Zealand U17 Football squad". Macleans College. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- ^ "Academy players make first team debuts in Australia Cup". Wellington Phoenix. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ Rollo, Phillip (21 October 2024). "Academy player Nathan Walker makes unexpected A-League Men debut for Wellington Phoenix". Stuff. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Chris Greenacre Announces First Squad As New Zealand U-20 Head Coach For OFC Men's U19 Championship". New Zealand Football. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
External links
- Nathan Walker at Soccerway