Desmond Sinclair "Des" Walker (born 26 November 1965 in Homerton, London) was an England international footballer known for becoming one of Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday's all-time heroes. is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... Hackney Hospital, August 2005. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... First international  Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win  Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat  Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at The City Ground in Nottingham, England. ... “SWFC” redirects here. ...

Early career

Walker, a pacy and hard-tackling central defender, was spotted playing locally in London and was signed by Forest in 1982 as an apprentice. Known for being unafraid of pitching youngsters into the first team if they were good enough, Forest manager Brian Clough, trying to build a second great side after his ageing European Cup winning team broke up, gave Walker his debut in March 1984 at the age of 18. Forest ended the Football League First Division season in third place. The Bolton players in white are defending - the nearest player is trying to prevent the Fulham forward in cyan from crossing the ball. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Brian Howard Clough, OBE (21 March 1935 – 20 September 2004) was a successful footballer and subsequently football manager, most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. ... Champions League Logo The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition between Europes most successful clubs, regarded as the most prestigious club trophy in the sport. ... This article is about the year. ... From 1889 until 1992, this was the highest division overall of organized football in England. ...

Forest made progress with Walker and his fellow young graduates from the prolific youth academy gaining ground and plaudits. Further top half-finishes in the League were followed by a run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1988 with Walker in outstanding form, to the extent that calls began to come from football observers for England coach Bobby Robson to select Walker to play for his country. This article is about the English FA Cup. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Sir Robert William Robson CBE (born February 18, 1933, in Sacriston, County Durham, England), commonly known as Bobby Robson (IPA: ), is an English football manager and former international football player. ...

Forest exited the FA Cup that season to Liverpool but the following year won their first trophy for nine seasons when, with Walker again in outstanding form, they won the League Cup with a 3-1 victory at Wembley over Luton Town. Tragedy struck a week later, however, when Forest and Liverpool met for the second season in a row in the FA Cup semi-finals, and the Hillsborough disaster claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. When the game was re-scheduled, Walker struggled against a rampant Liverpool side who won 3-1. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... For the old stadium, see Wembley Stadium (1923). ... Luton Town Football Club are an Englishfootball team based in the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. ... The Memorial at Hillsborough. ...

International career

There was joy a month later for Walker as Robson finally answered the calls for his international debut, and he duly came on as a substitute for Tony Adams in a game against Denmark. It was not long before Walker was a regular starter in the side, with competition for central defensive places hot at the time - Adams, Terry Butcher and Mark Wright were all also in contention. A substitute is a player in football who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. ... For other persons named Tony Adams, see Tony Adams (disambiguation). ... Terence Ian Terry Butcher (born December 28, 1958 in Singapore) is an English football manager who is currently manager of Brentford having been appointed on 24 April 2007[1]. Also formerly a professional player, he made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. ... Mark Wright (born August 1, 1963 in Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England) was an English international footballer now turned manager. ...

Walker got his second League Cup winners' medal when Forest retained the trophy in 1990 with victory over Oldham Athletic and, despite a disappointing League season for Forest, Walker was a certain name on the list of 22 players whom Robson took to the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Rochdale Road stand Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane, Oldham. ... The 1990 FIFA World Cup, the 14th staging of the World Cup, was held in Italy from June 8 to July 8. ...

Walker started all seven of the games in which England would play, gaining international acclaim which was only overshadowed by another new young star in Paul Gascoigne. Playing in a three-man defence alongside Wright and Butcher (Adams did not make the squad), Walker shrugged off knocks and fatigue to enjoy a superb tournament, which ended when England were knocked out on penalties by West Germany in the semi-finals. Paul John Gascoigne (born 27 May 1967 in Gateshead, England), often referred to as Gazza, is a retired English football player who is widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation. ...

Walker subsequently became England's defensive linchpin after Butcher decided to retire and his was one of the first names on the teamsheet even after Graham Taylor had taken over as manager. Graham Taylor OBE (born September 15, 1944, Worksop, Nottinghamshire) is a football manager and a former player. ...

Walker form continued to be impressive for England under Taylor. But, after a move to Italian side U.C. Sampdoria in 1992, Walker was regularly played out of position - often at fullback. As a result Walker's form for England suffered. In a crucial 1994 World Cup Qualifier England were leading 2-1 against Holland when Walker fouled Dutch winger Marc Overmars inside England's penalty area with four minutes remaining. The Penalty was converted and England were facing a struggle to make it to the finals in the United States. Walker continued to make major mistakes and had a very poor performance against Poland, twice conceding possession, once just outside the penalty box leading to Poland's goal, and nearly gifting Poland a second goal through a mix up with Chris Woods. Unione Calcio Sampdoria (commonly nicknamed Blucerchiati, blue-ringed) is a football club based in Genoa, Italy. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... A total of 147 teams entered the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 24 spots in the final tournament. ... First international Belgium 1 - 4 Netherlands (Antwerp, Belgium; 30 April 1905) Biggest win Netherlands 9 - 0 Finland (Solna, Sweden; 4 July 1912) Netherlands 9 - 0 Norway (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 1 November 1972) Biggest defeat England Amateur 12 - 2 Netherlands (Darlington, England; 21 December 1907) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1934... Marc Overmars (born March 29, 1973 in Emst) is a former Dutch football player. ... A penalty is a punishment: a legal sentence, e. ... Christopher Chris Charles Eric Woods (born November 14, 1959 in Swineshead, Lincolnshire) was a football goalkeeper who was best known for being Peter Shiltons long-time understudy in the England team in the mid to late 1980s. ...

England's hopes of qualifying were dealt a huge blow during a 0-2 loss to Norway. Walker was largely at fault for the first goal. After committing a foul near the corner flag Walker began to argue with the referee, only to be caught out with a quick free kick which was crossed for Øyvind Leonhardsen to score. Walker also made other errors which nearly increased Norway's advantage. Øyvind Leonhardsen (born August 17, 1970) is a Norwegian footballer. ...

Walker was dropped for other crucial qualifiers, a 3-0 win over Poland and a devastating 0-2 loss against Holland. Walker was included in Taylor's last match in November 1993. It proved to be one of the most infamous, as San Marino scored the fastest World Cup goal ever after just eight seconds. England won 7-1 but failed to make the finals in America in 1994. It also proved to be Walker's last game for England. For other uses, see November (disambiguation). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Nottingham Forest F.C.

At Forest, he was again a key player as they chased the only trophy Clough had yet to win, the FA Cup. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English professional football club based at The City Ground in Nottingham, England. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ...

Forest got to the final at Wembley but were beaten 2-1 by Tottenham Hotspur, with misfortune striking for Walker. The game was deep into extra-time at 1-1 when a Spurs corner was flicked dangerously on at the near post. For the new stadium, see Wembley Stadium. ... Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is an English professional football club which plays in the Premier League. ...

Walker, marking his man at the far post, was duly put under pressure and, in trying to head the ball clear of the Spurs player running with him, only succeeded in putting it into his own net. Spurs won as a result, and for Walker, a Spurs fan as a boy, it was not quite how he planned to carry out his childhood dream of scoring the winning goal for them in the FA Cup final.

It was always a source of amusement that Walker was not prone to scoring goals at all - unlike most central defenders, he was not frequently sent forward to add height to set-pieces. By the time 1992 began, he had not scored a single goal (at the correct end) in his eight year career. But that was to change. Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

On New Year's Day 1992, Forest played Luton in a League game and the game reached the last few minutes with Forest 1-0 down. Walker ventured forward as an emergency measure, as central defenders often do in such situations, and found himself chasing a long pass through on goal. Despite having no known finishing prowess and a goalscoring record to prove it, Walker unleashed a fierce shot into the roof of the net to earn Forest a point. The crowd and the rest of Forest team went berserk in their celebration of Walker finally breaking his duck. Prior to the game, an old lady who called up GEM AM Radio Station's hotline predicted in a competition that "Number 4" would be the first goalscorer for Forest. On hearing this the staff laughed hysterically that she had selected Des Walker as the first goalscorer. Ironically enough, Des scored Forest's first goal. This article is about January 1 in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Life after Forest

Later that season, Forest reached another League Cup final, but lost it to Manchester United. Walker then travelled with the England squad to Euro 92 in Sweden but England failed to get beyond the group stages. After the tournament, he was sold to Italian side Sampdoria, coached by Sven-Göran Eriksson, for 1.5 million pounds. He lasted just one season there, before returning to England to join Sheffield Wednesday for 2.7 million pounds. Manchester United Football Club are a world-famous English football club, based at the Old Trafford stadium in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and are one of the most popular sports clubs in the world, with over 50 million supporters worldwide. ... The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship (Euro 92) final tournament was hosted by Sweden. ... Unione Calcio Sampdoria (commonly nicknamed Blucerchiati, blue-ringed) is a football club based in Genoa, Italy. ...   (IPA: , born February 5, 1948) is a Swedish football manager. ... “GBP” redirects here. ... “SWFC” redirects here. ...

Walker's pace suffered after a long-term injury and his England career was cut short as a result. He played in all but one of the qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup (missing the crucial 0-2 loss to Holland) but, with England failing to get through to the finals in the U.S., Walker's international career ended with 59 caps and, unsurprisingly, no goals. The 1994 Football World Cup held in the USA was won by Brazil who beat Italy 3-2 on penalty kicks after the game and extra time ended 0-0. ... First international Belgium 1 - 4 Netherlands (Antwerp, Belgium; 30 April 1905) Biggest win Netherlands 9 - 0 Finland (Solna, Sweden; 4 July 1912) Netherlands 9 - 0 Norway (Rotterdam, Netherlands; 1 November 1972) Biggest defeat England Amateur 12 - 2 Netherlands (Darlington, England; 21 December 1907) World Cup Appearances 8 (First in 1934... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from...

He concentrated on club football, enjoying a long association with Sheffield Wednesday, making more than 300 appearances under eight different managers. He again became a favorite of the fans and picked up the captain's armband. Amid Sheffield Wednesday's growing financial strain associated with their precipitous fall from the upper league Walker was released from his contract in 2001. He briefly trained with his ex-Forest team-mate Nigel Clough at Burton Albion (where he was manager), but then he was asked to return to Forest, by now a struggling lower division side. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Nigel Howard Clough (born 19 March 1966, Sunderland) is a former English footballer and the current player-manager of Burton Albion. ... Burton Albion F.C. are an English football team currently playing in the Nationwide Conference. ...

Walker made almost 60 more appearances for Forest, nearly a decade after he had left them, at the age of 38 with a total of 354 appearances for the club to his name - and one goal.He then went and enjoyed a successful season at Mansfield were he scored on two occasions playing under former England international Keith Curle. Keith Curle (born 14 November 1963 in Bristol) was an English professional football player who currently played as a central defender, until moving into management. ...

A testimonial match was held in his honour - this drew thousands of spectators but controversy was caused when the player was arrested several hours later.

He became first team coach at Forest afterwards but left in 2005 when Gary Megson was appointed as manager. Gareth John Megson (born 2 May 1959 in Manchester) is a former English footballer and manager. ...

In 2007, he came out top alongside Peter Swan in a poll to find Sheffield Wednesday's two greatest ever center backs on the website Vital Football. Peter Swan (born 8 October 1936, South Elmsall, Yorkshire) was a professional footballer whose career lasted from 1952 until 1974. ... Vital Football is a new sports network that was formed in 2005. ...

External links

• Des Walker on RSSSF-site
• Overview of career on FA.com

v • d • e England squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place
1 Shilton • 2 Stevens • 3 Pearce • 4 Webb • 5 Walker • 6 Butcher • 7 Bryan Robson • 8 Waddle • 9 Beardsley • 10 Lineker • 11 Barnes • 12 Parker • 13 Woods • 14 Wright • 15 Dorigo • 16 McMahon • 17 Platt • 18 Hodge • 19 Gascoigne • 20 Steven • 21 Bull • 22 Beasant • Coach: Bobby Robson