Nathan Walker (footballer)

Nathan Walker

Walker playing for the Wellington Phoenix in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Nathan Barry Walker
Date of birth	(2006-01-30) 30 January 2006 (age 19) [1]
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand [2] [3]
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Team information
Current team	Wellington Phoenix
Number	19
Youth career
	Bucklands Beach AFC
	Onehunga Sports
2020–2021	Auckland United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–2023	Fencibles United	24	(5)
2024–	Wellington Phoenix FC Reserves	16	(4)
2024–	Wellington Phoenix	24	(1)
International career‡
2023	New Zealand U17	3	(0)
2024–	New Zealand U20	4	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing   New Zealand OFC U-19 Men's Championship Winner 2024 Samoa
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 9 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 December 2024

Nathan Barry Walker (born 30 January 2006) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a winger for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men.

Early life

Walker was born in Auckland in 2006. His father is former New Zealand international cricketer Brooke Walker. ^[3] Walker played for Bucklands Beach AFC, Onehunga Sports, Auckland United, and Fencibles United before joining the Wellington Phoenix Academy in early 2024. ^[2] He was educated at Macleans College. ^[4]

Club career

After joining the Phoenix Academy, Walker made 16 appearances and scored four goals for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the 2024 Central League. ^[1]

He made his senior Wellington Phoenix debut in an Australia Cup match against South Melbourne on 6 August 2024. The Phoenix lost 1–0 at Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne. ^[5]

Walker was unexpectedly called up to play his first A-League Men match on 20 October 2024 in a home match against Western United. Sam Sutton, Marco Rojas, Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues and Stefan Colakovski were all unavailable to play, leading Phoenix manager Giancarlo Italiano to call up Walker to debut for the season opener. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. ^[6] On 31 October 2024, Walker signed a 4-year contract with the club, the first two of which are on scholarship terms. ^[2]

International career

Walker played in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup for New Zealand, playing in all three matches. ^[1]

In 2024, Walker was called up to the New Zealand under-19 squad to play in the OFC U-19 Men's Championship. ^[7] Walker played in four of the five matches, scoring one goal against Papua New Guinea, and winning the championship. ^[1]

Walker was named as part of the 21-player New Zealand U-20 squad for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place in Chile from September to October 2025. ^[8]

Honours

New Zealand U20

• OFC U-19 Men's Championship: 2024.

References

1. "Nathan Walker". Wellington Phoenix . Retrieved 29 December 2024.
2. "Nix secure young Auckland winger on multi-year deal". Wellington Phoenix . 31 October 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
3. Pisani, Sacha. "Wellington Phoenix sign 'one of Auckland's brightest talents' in latest Derby week jab". A-Leagues . Retrieved 29 December 2024.
4. "Macleans College student gains selection for New Zealand U17 Football squad". Macleans College. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
5. "Academy players make first team debuts in Australia Cup". Wellington Phoenix . 7 August 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
6. Rollo, Phillip (21 October 2024). "Academy player Nathan Walker makes unexpected A-League Men debut for Wellington Phoenix". Stuff . Retrieved 29 December 2024.
7. "Chris Greenacre Announces First Squad As New Zealand U-20 Head Coach For OFC Men's U19 Championship". New Zealand Football . 14 June 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
8. "Squad Named for September's FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025". New Zealand Football. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.

External links

• Nathan Walker at Soccerway