James Barry Walker (born 9 July 1973) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Since 2013, Walker has been a goalkeeping coach at numerous clubs. Early life Walker was born on 9 July 1973 at 3.00am in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, weighing 7lbs 13oz. His father, Barry, was employed as a miner before working in an office, while his mother ran her own hairdressing salon. He has a younger sister, Elizabeth. When Walker was eleven years old, his parents divorced, and he continued to live with his mother. Within a year, his father married again to his step-mother, Hilary. Club career Walsall Walker joined Notts County as a trainee in July 1991, but failed to make a first-team appearance and moved to Walsall in August 1993, making his debut in the same month. He went on to make 475 appearances in all competitions for Walsall in eleven years, the most by any goalkeeper for the club and became a cult hero at Bescot Stadium. While at Walsall he was a key player in three promotion seasons, won their Player of the Season award twice and was selected in the PFA Second Division Team of the Year in 2001. He was awarded a testimonial in the summer of 2003. Walker's popularity proved such that an autobiography was commissioned to coincide with his testimonial season; ghosted by Walsall programme editor, Andrew Poole, it proved to be a relative success with fans of Walsall and of West Ham United. Walker's successes at Walsall included promotion from Division Three in 1995 and from Division Two in 1999 and again in 2001. He was nicknamed "Wacka" by the Walsall fans. West Ham United West Ham acquired Walker's services from Walsall on a Bosman free transfer in the summer of 2004. Walker, who provided competition for Stephen Bywater, was the second choice goalkeeper at Upton Park but gained a regular first team place within a year of his arrival. Walker gained praise from West Ham fans on saving a penalty taken by Frank Lampard in the League Cup in October 2004, in front of the West Ham supporters' end at Stamford Bridge. However, despite his heroics, the Hammers lost the tie 1–0. Walker helped West Ham win promotion in 2005, but a serious knee injury in the closing stages of the play-off final saw him miss the majority of the 2005–06 season. He made