Bengaluru FC to sign former England U-20 World Cup captain Josh Walker

I-League champions Bengaluru FC have agreed a one-year contract with former Middlesbrough midfielder and England Under-20 World Cup captain Josh Walker, according to a report on chroniclelive.co.uk.

The 25-year-old is a central midfielder and will be a direct replacement for Liberian John Menyongar, who was released by Bengaluru at the end of last season. A product of the Middlesbrough youth system, Walker featured for Boro in the English Premier League and thus also qualifies to be a marquee foreigner.

Walker captained England in the 2009 U-20 World Cup in Egypt, where the Young Lions were knocked out from the group stage. The Newcastle-born medio has also had a loan spell at Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen but after being released by Middlesbrough in 2010 he has only featured in the lower leagues of England.

Bengaluru FC coach Ashley Westwood and Walker were also teammates at Northampton Town. Walker last played for Gateshead FC in the fifth tier of English football.

The addition of Walker would complete Bengaluru’s quota of four foreigners as central defenders John Johnson and Curtis Osano and forward Sean Rooney have already signed contract extensions.