Jason Walker (born 21 February 1984) is an English semi-professional footballer who plays as a striker for Northern Premier League club Lancaster City. He previously played for Dundee, Greenock Morton, Morecambe, Luton Town, York City, Östersund, Forest Green Rovers, Southport, Barrow, Chorley and Workington.
Club career
Early career
Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, Walker grew in Flookburgh and attended Cartmel Priory School. He was playing for Cartmel in the North Lancashire and District Football League at the age of 16 when he was spotted by a Dundee scout. He signed for the Scottish Premier League team's youth system on a two-year scholarship straight from school after playing three games on trial. He then had two years on a professional contract before being released in May 2004 with the club in administration, bringing to an end four years with Dundee. He subsequently joined Scottish Second Division side Greenock Morton in July 2004. He left the club and signed for Conference National side Morecambe in January 2007 after training with the team. He scored in the 90th minute on his first team debut, a 5–0 victory at home to Mangotsfield United in the FA Trophy second round on 13 January 2007, after entering the match as a 65th minute substitute. Following the game, manager Sammy McIlroy said "Jason took his goal really well. He could be a good asset for us".
Barrow
Walker was released by Morecambe on 8 March 2007 and one day later signed for Conference North side Barrow. He scored 13 goals in 48 games in the 2007–08 season as Barrow won promotion to the Conference Premier via the Conference North play-offs. In the 2008–09 season he was Barrow's top scorer with 12 goals in the league, and scored Barrow's goal in their 2–1 defeat by Middlesbrough in the FA Cup third round.
Walker was allowed to go on trial with Championship side Doncaster Rovers in July 2009, having impressed their manager Sean O'Driscoll in a pre-season friendly against his side. However, despite Walker scoring in two trial games, Doncaster did not follow up their interest and he returned to Barrow for the 2009–10 season.
On 20 March 2010, Walker scored twice as Barrow beat Salisbury City 2–1 in the second leg of the FA Trophy semi-final, which gave Barrow a 3–1 win on aggregate and therefore progression to the Final at Wembley Stadium. Barrow faced Conference Premier champions Stevenage Borough in the Final on 8 May 2010 and Walker scored the winning goal with a 25-yard "wonder strike" in a 2–1 victory after extra time.
Luton Town
Walker signed for fellow Conference Premier side Luton Town on 17 November 2010, initially on loan, with a view to a permanent transfer in January 2011. He scored on his Luton debut with a header from Matthew Barnes-Homer's cross and earlier in the match assisted a Jake Howells goal in a 5–1 win at home to Histon on 20 November 2010.
The permanent switch for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £45,000, was completed on 5 January 2011, with Walker signing a one-and-a-half-year contract. His final act as a Luton player was to miss a crucial penalty kick in the 2011 Conference Premier play-off final penalty shoot-out defeat to AFC Wimbledon at the City of Manchester Stadium on 21 May 2011, with his chipped effort being saved by goalkeeper Seb Brown. He finished the season with six goals in 29 appearances for Luton.
York City
Eight months after joining Luton, Walker signed for Conference Premier rivals York City on a two-year contract on 16 June 2011, with the officially undisclosed fee being revealed by Luton as £60,000. He scored a penalty and a 90th minute winning goal with a header on his debut, a 2–1 victory away at Ebbsfleet United in the opening game of the 2011–12 season on 13 August 2011. Walker was handed a three-match suspension after being red carded during a 0–0 draw away at former club Barrow on 19 November 2011 for a tackle on Jason Owen during stoppage time. Walker won a second FA Trophy in the 2012 Final with York at Wembley on 12 May 2012, in which the side beat Newport County 2–0. Eight days later he played in the 2–1 victory over his former club Luton in the 2012 Conference Premier play-off final at Wembley, seeing York return to the Football League after an eight-year absence with promotion to League Two.