Ex-Barnsley and Luton goalkeeper makes first league start for Preston North End as transfer stance justified
The shot-stopper has been handed his first start since August.
Preston North End’s Jack Walton has been handed a rare league start by boss Paul Heckingbottom for their Championship game versus Derby County.
Walton, 27, was signed by North End in July and is traditionally second choice behind Daniel Iversen, who was not named in the lineup due to injury, the details of which are yet to be confirmed.
The former Barnsley, Luton Town and Dundee United man, signed by Heckingbottom at Oakwell, has secured a first league start at Deepdale after playing between the sticks in PNE’s two Carabao Cup fixtures away to Barrow and at home to Wrexham, the latter marking their exit from the competition.
Dai Cornell, who was signed by PNE in 2022, is on the bench for North End, who are also without Andrew Hughes
While Walton’s name being featured in the starting 11 is a result of unfortunate and enforced circumstances, Heckingbottom’s summer stance on the goalkeeping situation - as revealed by club director Peter Ridsdale - has now been justified.
“Well, Paul wanted to strengthen the goalkeeping department because, clearly, we had an injury to Fred (Woodman) at the end of last season,” Ridsdale told the Lancashire Post.
“Whilst Li-Bau (Stowell, academy goalkeeper) is very talented and we've got really high hopes for him, he was nervous that we went through a lot of games there with a goalkeeper and then a 17-year-old on the bench. He never wanted us to be exposed to that.
“We've brought in another experienced goalkeeper who will fight with Dai - assuming Dai stays in the backup slot - and may well fight Daniel to start, which means we've got competition. Whereas in reality, we weren't quite in that position last year and we don't want to be exposed.”
Walton played 75 times for Dundee United across two season-long loan spells, and Heckingbottom noted his wealth of experience immediately after securing his signature.
“Jack’s someone I know well from our time at Barnsley together. He’s a great lad and a great goalkeeper.”, Heckingbottom told the club website in July.
“He’s shown what he can do in the Championship before and he’s had a brilliant couple of years playing week in, week out in Scotland.”