Previous Southend United loanee Christian Walton is targeting Leading League soccer following the “great feeling” of his initially aggressive overall look for Brighton & Hove Albion in practically 6 a long time.
The 25-calendar year-old – who played seven situations for the Shrimpers in 2017 – made his Albion debut in a League Cup tie at Tottenham in October 2014 and performed a few Championship video games that time right before remaining despatched out on loan seven moments.
He lastly returned to action for the Seagulls for the duration of Saturday’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth-spherical acquire more than League One particular Blackpool and now hopes to crack into Graham Potter’s prime-flight line-up.
“I was saying to my household it’s something like more than 2000 times given that I final pulled on a Brighton shirt – it is rather odd really,” reported Walton, whose prior Albion outing was a goalless attract with Middlesbrough in May well 2015.
“Seven loans later and I am again in a Brighton shirt, it is a terrific sensation.
“My major purpose is to engage in in the Leading League and contend with the other two goalkeepers at the club – the competitors in the group is pretty balanced.”
Considerably-travelled Walton has played in all 3 tiers of the English Soccer League. Just after momentary spells with Bury, Plymouth, Luton and Southend, he put in two years with Wigan before symbolizing Blackburn very last season.
The previous England Beneath-21 worldwide need to make up for lost time right after development with his guardian club was hampered by an ankle injury experienced in a pre-time helpful towards Chelsea in August.
Given that then, Spaniard Robert Sanchez has changed the recently-departed Mat Ryan as Brighton’s selection one particular, with Jason Steele delivering back again up.
Walton has been encouraged to see head mentor Potter handing chances to fewer skilled players and is ready to challenge 23-calendar year-aged Sanchez.
“I arrived back in the summer time in a excellent situation, I wounded my ankle in the Chelsea helpful and it is taken me a small bit of time to get again fit, but yesterday was genuinely very good for me,” explained Walton, who was talking to Brighton’s site.
“I have been in the health club and performing on issues you never commonly get to do when you are taking part in each 7 days, which I have been for the final a few yrs.
“I hadn’t truly labored with Robert that much since I’ve been out on loan, but you can see he’s bought excellent.
“He’s a younger goalkeeper and it will just take him time to develop into a Leading League goalkeeper mainly because it doesn’t just happen right away, it transpires above a system of a couple of seasons.
“It’s fantastic that Rob has been involved. It reveals that the supervisor is ready to give alternatives to players that are performing effectively.”
