English professional footballer Anton Charles Walkes (8 February 1997 – 19 January 2023) was a defender or midfielder.
Walkes started his professional club career at Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League, where he made one League Cup appearance. In twenty seventeen, he was loaned to Atlanta United. In August, his loan was extended till the conclusion of the 2017 season. Before being recruited permanently by League One outfit Portsmouth in July 2018, Walkes spent the remaining 2017–18 campaign on loan with Portsmouth. He spent two more seasons playing with Portsmouth, winning the EFL Trophy in 2019, before re-joining Atlanta United in January 2020. He began playing for Charlotte FC in 2022 and remained there till his death in 2023.
The career of Anton Walkes
On January 26, 2017, Walkes joined Major League Soccer club Atlanta United ahead of the club’s inaugural season. In the first game of the year, Walkes made his Atlanta United debut after being brought on as a late substitution. However, he quickly scored an own goal in a 2-1 defeat to the New York Red Bulls. Despite his injury issues, Walkes immediately earned his first team spot for the side by settling into the right-back position after originally starting on the substitutes’ bench. Then, on July 5, 2017, he scored the club’s first goal in a 4-2 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Source: Sky Sports
On 1 August 2017, his loan spell at Atlanta United was extended until the end of the season. For the remainder of the season, he kept winning back his position. Then, on September 14, 2017, Walkes scored his second goal for the team in a 7-0 victory over the New England Revolution.
Walkes signed a loan agreement with EFL League One team Portsmouth on January 29, 2018. On February 3, in a 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers, he scored on his professional debut. Since making his club debut, he has solidified his place at right-back in the starting lineup. This continued up until the beginning of April, when he sustained a hamstring injury that required him to sit out the rest of the season. Before going back to his original club, he scored one over 12 loan stints.
Personal Life and Marriage Details
Born in Lewisham, Walkes was of Jamaican descent. Walkes and his partner, Alexis, had one daughter.
In November 2018, Walkes pleaded guilty to driving while suspended, was fined, and received 120 hours of community service.
On January 18, 2023, Walkes was in Miami, where Charlotte FC held a twelve-day training camp. Around 3:00 PM Eastern Time, he was injured in a collision with two boats near Miami Marine Stadium. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries the next morning at the age of 25.
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