Brad Walker

Hartlepool United

He signed a professional contract with Hartlepool United in July 2013. He made his Football League debut on 3 August 2013, in a 3–0 defeat away at Rochdale. He scored his first career goal in a 1–1 draw with Burton Albion on 21 December. He said it was a "very bizarre feeling and one I was very proud with". Having scored 3 goals in 42 appearances, Walker won the Football League Apprentice of the Year award for League Two in the 2013–14 season; upon winning the award he thanked his friends and family for their support. Hartlepool manager Colin Cooper rated him as the best player he had seen for his age. The 2014–15 season saw a loss of form for Walker and most of the Hartlepool team in general, with manager Colin Cooper and his successor Paul Murray both dismissed before Christmas. He ended the season with 5 goals from 32 games. Walker then fell out of manager Ronnie Moore's first-team plans in the 2015–16 season and spent time on trial at Wolverhampton Wanderers; no move to Wolves transpired though he continued to be linked to the club as late as summer 2017. Though not named in new manager Craig Hignett's first matchday squads in February, he was soon reintroduced to the first-team after impressing in training, with Hignett crediting his upturn in form to "love", saying "Brad knows what I think of him and I just felt in training that he was starting to be his old self again". He would go on to feature in 27 competitive matches by the end of the…

Walker was called up for England under-18s training camps in November and December 2013. However, he was not called up for the under-18's next fixture in February 2014.

Walker is a defensive, ball-playing central midfielder, though can also play as part of a three at centre-back. He is known for having good ball control, long-range shooting and passing skills. He has had success with free kicks and the knuckleball dead ball technique.

Walker was born in Billingham, County Durham and attended Northfield School & Sports College. He joined Hartlepool United at the age of 13 and would make the 12-mile round trip to Victoria Park on his bicycle. Walker has two daughters and one son, as of 2023.