Walker relieved that Glory gave him a shot

Dec 7, 2017 - 2:55 AM TV wasn't quite his jam, but Jeremy Walker has set his sights on carving out a long A-League career after being plucked out of the football wilderness by Perth Glory.

Walker was just 16 years old when he was cut during the third season of the soccer reality TV show Football Superstar in 2010.

The Tasmanian-born defender reckons his lack of flashy skills and reserved personality played a big part in his early axing, which came in just the third episode.

Despite that setback, Walker was still able to pick up a contract with Melbourne Heart two years later - only to be released after 16 games over two seasons.

But four years later, Walker's A-League dreams were revived out of the blue when Glory signed him as an injury replacement for Marc Warren (ankle).

Walker has since notched five games with Glory, including the past three straight.

And with Warren still at least three weeks away from a return, Walker has more time to prove he is worth a full-time contract at Glory, who have space on their list for additional signings.

"It's a privilege and a big relief to get another chance. I'm just trying to make the most of it," Walker said.

"Physically I was always wanting to be back here. But it was tough mentally waiting for three years and it not coming around.

"So I think I put it on the shelf, thinking maybe it wasn't going to happen.

"And in conversations with people, I would always say, 'It's probably a bit far gone for me now'.

"But in my mind, my body was always prepared to get this chance again."

During his time in the A-League wilderness, Walker spent two years plying his trade in England, before getting a job as a physical preparation coach at a sports high school in Victoria.

While working at the school, Walker played for Hume City and Green Gully in the Victorian State league.

Earlier this week, Walker was interviewed by the school to gauge his interest in retaining the role for next year.

But the 24-year-old right back is holding out hope he will earn a full-time contract with Glory.

But with Diego Castro (calf), Adam Taggart (hamstring), Andreu (calf), and Scott Neville (groin) due back in the next two to three weeks, reinforcements are on the way.

Source: AAP