Walton Joins Sheff Utd On Loan

Last season's midfield loanee Simon Walton has joined Sheffield United on loan. The 22 year old joins the Blades from Plymouth having spent last season at the heart of the Alex midfield.

Having joined on loan under Gudjon Thordarson last August, Walton went on to make over 30 appearances in red although he failed to live up to his impressive CV that promised so much more. He did however find a fan in Dario Gradi, who suggested that Walton had come to the club too late in his career to get the best from it.

With Plymouth long making it clear that the Leeds youth product had no future at Home Park, it was expected that the Alex would at least be facing Walton next season if he could get a move. Surprisingly not though as today Sheffield United confirmed a season long loan had been completed.

Blades manager Kevin Blackwell has given himself the task of resurrecting the career of Walton. Blackwell as Leeds manager sold Walton to Charlton for £1million in 2007 but the 22 year old has since notched up seven different clubs over the last three years.

Now back under the guidance of the man who gave him his professional debut, Walton is really in last chance saloon to make it at the top of the game. Blackwell told sufc.co.uk that Walton has it all to prove in the Championship this season:

'He had the world at his feet but he has now been around the block, got carried away with things he shouldn't have done and his career has fallen away.

'But he is still young, everyone is human and makes mistakes and it is how you react to them that counts. I have told him that he has this last chance at a big club to get his career back on track.

'It will be a crying shame if he doesn't do that over the next couple of years.'

Perhaps time for less Come Dine With Me appearances from Simon and more time focussed on trying to carve out a career as the professional footballer he clearly craves to be.

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