Andy Walker (footballer)

Andrew "Andy" Walker (born 6 April 1965 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former footballer and current TV pundit.

Walker started his career with Motherwell in 1984 before moving to Celtic in the summer of 1987. His first season at Celtic Park was hugely successful, as "the Bhoys" won the double in their centenary season and Walker himself earned a first Scotland cap against Colombia. The following 3 seasons were less fruitful however and by 1991-92 Walker was out of the first team picture. After loan spells with Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers, he joined the Burnden Park side permanently in 1992.

At Bolton, Walker returned to his form of 1987-88, establishing a prolific partnership with John McGinlay as the Lancashire side earned promotion to the First Division in 1992-93. That same season, he famously scored at Anfield to help "the Trotters" knock holders Liverpool out of the FA Cup. Walker continued in the same vein of form the following season until sustaining a serious knee injury against Swansea City. Upon his recovery, he was the subject of a surprise bid from Celtic and he returned to Glasgow in 1994.

1994-95 was a mixed season for Walker. On the positive side, he won a Scotland recall and earned his third (and last) cap in October, while his Celtic side won the Scottish Cup in May 1995. In between these events though were the negatives, as "the Hoops" struggled in the League and suffered a shock defeat by Raith Rovers in the League Cup final. Due to the arrival of Andreas Thom in the summer of 1995, Walker was again deemed surplus to requirements at Parkhead and joined Sheffield United for £500,000 in early 1996.

Walker's time in the Steel City was relatively productive, his goals tally a respectable 24. However, he was again to quickly fall from favour, and after brief loan spells at Hibernian and Raith Rovers in 1998, he ended his career in the lower leagues. This period encompassed short spells with Ayr United, Carlisle United, Partick Thistle and Alloa Athletic.

Since his playing retirement, Walker has worked as a pundit for STV on their "Scotsport" highlights programme, which he became the main presenter of, alongside Grant Stott, due to Jim Delahunt's departure. The programme was axed in May 2008, due to increasing competition from BBC Scotland's "Sportscene". Walkera also writing a column for the Glasgow-based "Sunday Mail" newspaper.

In 2007/08, Walker began presenting STV's coverage of the Champions League, as well the station's UEFA Cup matches, taking over from Jim White.

External links

* [http://www.stv.tv/content/sport/infocus/walkers_wager/ Walker's Wager] at stv.tv
*soccerbase|id=8229|name=Andy Walker
* [http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s474/st116866.htm Bolton interview with Andy Walker] ]