Anton Walkes
Walkes after signing for Atlanta United in 2017
Personal information
Full name Anton Charles Walkes
Date of birth (1997-02-08)8 February 1997
Place of birth Lewisham, London, England
Date of death 19 January 2023(2023-01-19) (aged 25)
Place of death Miami, Florida, US
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.87 m)
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Youth career
2013–2017 Tottenham Hotspur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Tottenham Hotspur 0 (0)
2017 → Atlanta United (loan) 20 (2)
2018 → Portsmouth (loan) 12 (1)
2018–2020 Portsmouth 35 (1)
2020–2021 Atlanta United 50 (2)
2022–2023 Charlotte FC 23 (0)
Total 140 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anton Charles Walkes (8 February 1997 – 19 January 2023) was an English professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder.

Walkes began his club career with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, making one appearance for the club in the League Cup. In 2017, he was loaned to Atlanta United until the end of the 2017 season. Walkes was then loaned out to League One club Portsmouth, playing the remainder of the 2017–18 season before being signed by Portsmouth permanently in July 2018. He spent two further seasons with Portsmouth, winning the EFL Trophy in 2019, before returning to Atlanta United in January 2020. He was signed by Charlotte FC in 2022, where he remained until his death a year later due to a boat crash in Miami, Florida.

Club career

Tottenham Hotspur

Walkes began his career with Tottenham Hotspur, joining the club in July 2013.[1]

He made his first team debut on 21 September 2016 in the EFL Cup against Gillingham, coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute in a 5–0 victory.[2] Walkes appeared three times as captain in the group stage of UEFA Youth League, including twice against Bayer Leverkusen.[3]

The following year, on 27 September 2017, he signed a two-year contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2019.[4] After his loan spell at Atlanta United, Walkes returned briefly to the reserve side before being loaned out again.[5]

Atlanta United (loan)

Walkes with Julian Gressel during Atlanta United's inaugural season.

On 26 January 2017, Walkes joined Major League Soccer club Atlanta United ahead of the club's inaugural season.[6] Walkes made his Atlanta United debut, in the opening game of the season, coming on as a late substitute but scored an own goal shortly after, in a 2–1 loss against New York Red Bulls.[7] Despite his own injury concerns and initially starting out on the substitute bench,[8] Walkes quickly regained his first team place for the side, establishing himself in the right-back position.[9] He then scored his first goal for the club on 5 July 2017, in a 4–2 win over San Jose Earthquakes.[10]

On 1 August 2017, his loan spell with Atlanta United was extended until the end of the season.[11] He continued to regain his place for the rest of the season.[12] Walkes then scored his second goal for the club on 14 September 2017, in a 7–0 win over New England Revolution.[13]

At the end of the 2017 season, Walkes went on to make 20 appearances and scoring 2 times in all competitions and returned to his parent club.[14] Reflecting on his time at Atlanta United, he said his loan spell there helped push on for first team football.[15]

Portsmouth

Walkes signed on loan for EFL League One club Portsmouth on 29 January 2018.[16] He scored on his debut, in a 2–2 draw against Doncaster Rovers on 3 February.[17] Since making his debut for the club, he established himself in the starting eleven at a right-back position.[18] This lasted until early April when he suffered a hamstring injury that made him miss the rest of the season.[19] He made 12 appearances in his loan and scored once, then returned to his parent club.[20]

On 18 July 2018, Portsmouth announced they had signed Walkes on a two-year deal with an option on a third year for an undisclosed fee.[21][22] He was part of the side that won the 2019 EFL Trophy Final on 31 March, replacing Ben Close for the final seven minutes before a penalty shootout win over Sunderland.[23]

Atlanta United

On 9 January 2020, Walkes returned to Major League Soccer club Atlanta United, three seasons following his loan with the club.[24] He made his club debut on 18 February in the CONCACAF Champions League against Motagua, starting in the 1–1 draw.[25]

Charlotte FC

On 14 December 2021, Walkes was selected by Charlotte FC in the 2021 MLS Expansion Draft.[26] He made 23 appearances for the club, starting in 21 matches during the club's inaugural season.[27]

Personal life and death

Born in Lewisham, Walkes was of Bajan descent on his father's side, and Welsh descent on his mother's side.[28] He and his partner, Alexis, had a daughter named Ayla.[29][30]

In November 2018, Walkes pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, being fined and receiving a sentence of 120 hours of community service.[31]

On 18 January 2023, Walkes was in Miami, Florida where Charlotte FC was holding a twelve-day training camp.[32] At around 3 p.m. Eastern Time, he was injured in a two-boat collision near Miami Marine Stadium.[33] He was taken to hospital, where he died from his injuries the following morning, at the age of 25.[33]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[34]
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tottenham Hotspur 2016–17 Premier League 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
Atlanta United (loan) 2017 Major League Soccer 20 2 2 0 — — 1 0 23 2
Portsmouth (loan) 2017–18 League One 12 1 0 0 — — 0 0 12 1
Portsmouth 2018–19 League One 24 1 3 0 1 0 — 7[a] 0 35 1
2019–20 11 0 3 0 2 0 — 3[a] 1 19 1
Total 47 2 6 0 3 0 0 0 11 1 66 3
Atlanta United 2020 Major League Soccer 17[b] 0 — — 3[c] 0 — 20 0
2021 33 2 — — 3[c] 0 — 36 2
Total 50 2 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 56 2
Charlotte FC 2022 Major League Soccer 23 0 1 0 — — — 24 0
Career total 140 6 9 0 4 0 6 0 11 1 170 7
  1. ^ a b Appearances in EFL Trophy
  2. ^ Includes two appearances in MLS is Back Tournament group stage
  3. ^ a b Appearances in CONCACAF Champions League

Honours

Portsmouth

References

  1. ^ "ANTON WALKES". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Tottenham Hotspur 5 – 0 Gillingham". BBC Sport. 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "GILLINGHAM DEBUTANTS SPECIAL! CARTER-VICKERS, NKOUDOU, EDWARDS AND WALKES REACT". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  3. ^ "BAYER LEVERKUSEN 3–1 SPURS (UYL) – MATCH SPOTLIGHT". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 16 October 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "SPURS 2–1 BAYER LEVERKUSEN (UYL) – MATCH SPOTLIGHT". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  4. ^ "New Contract for Anton Walkes". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Tottenham's Anton Walkes: MLS loan at Atlanta has pushed me on". ESPN. 23 March 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Spurs player ratings: Anton Walkes returns from Atlanta but can't stop U23s' defeat to Everton". Football London. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Atlanta United Acquire Anton Walkes on loan from Tottenham Hotspur". Atlanta United FC. AtlUtd.com. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  7. ^ "RECAP: Atlanta United fall to New York Red Bulls in Home Opener". Atlanta United FC. 6 March 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Martinez not in Atlanta United 18 vs. Vancouver". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 3 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Walkes enjoying time at Atlanta United". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 7 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Atlanta United suffers 2 injuries". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Anton Walkes' first start in MLS brings positive results". The Dirty South Soccer. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "For Anton Walkes, loan to Atlanta United about exposure, making most of it". Fox Sports. 29 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  10. ^ "Josef Martinez scores twice, United beat Earthquakes 4–2". USA Today. 4 July 2017. Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Anton Walkes Extends Atlanta United Loan". Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 1 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  12. ^ "Walkes loving 'every single moment' of Atlanta loan". The Irish Independent. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "4 options for Atlanta United at left back". Atlanta Blog. 3 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Checking in on Anton Walkes". Cartilage Free Captain. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  13. ^ "Atlanta United equals MLS record in win". Goal.com. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Final Exams: Anton Walkes". Dirty South Soccer. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Anton Walkes interview: Tottenham defender on MLS and Portsmouth". Sky Sports. 24 March 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Portsmouth: Tottenham midfielder Anton Walkes agrees loan move". BBC Sport. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  17. ^ "Portsmouth 2–2 Doncaster: Pompey salvage draw". Sky Sports. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  18. ^ "Pompey team news: Walkes set to fill Burgess void". Portsmouth News. 8 February 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Defender absent for Cook's Pompey return". Portsmouth News. 2 April 2018. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Pompey injury update: Walkes misses training". Portsmouth News. 5 April 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
    "Season ends for Pompey pair". Portsmouth News. 23 April 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Naismith departs as Pompey announce retained list". Portsmouth News. 9 May 2018. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  21. ^ "Walkes Completes Pompey Switch". Portsmouth Football Club. 18 July 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  22. ^ "Anton Walkes: Portsmouth sign Tottenham defender for undisclosed fee". BBC Sport. 18 July 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  23. ^ a b Williams, Adam (31 March 2019). "Portsmouth 2–2 Sunderland". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  24. ^ "Atlanta United acquire Anton Walkes from Portsmouth". mlssoccer.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Montagua 1–1 Atlanta United". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Charlotte FC selects Anton Walkes, Defender | 2021 MLS Expansion Draft | Charlotte FC". Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  27. ^ Boren, Cindy (19 January 2023). "MLS player Anton Walkes dies of injuries suffered in Miami boat crash". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Anton Walkes: Who is the Portsmouth player? Which teams has he played for? When did he sign for Portsmouth? What position does he play?Â". www.portsmouth.co.uk. 28 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 December 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  29. ^ Major League soccer star dies in boat accident Archived 19 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine Miami Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2023
  30. ^ "Former Tottenham defender Anton Walkes dies in boat crash at age of 25". the Guardian. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  31. ^ "Portsmouth and ex-Spurs player Anton Walkes caught driving while banned". News Shopper. 29 November 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  32. ^ Neal, David J. (19 January 2023). "Major League Soccer player Anton Walkes dies in a boating crash near Miami Marine Stadium". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  33. ^ a b Grez, Matias (19 January 2023). "Charlotte FC soccer player Anton Walkes dies following boating accident aged 25". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  34. ^ Anton Walkes at Soccerway

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