Jimmy Walker watching on with interest at the World Cup
The Women's World Cup will kick-off on Thursday, and Walsall legend and former West Ham Women's assistant Jimmy Walker will be keeping a close eye on how events unfold Down Under.
West Ham Women's Izzy Atkinson (Ireland); Viviane Asseyi (France); Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi (both Japan) will all be in action in Australia over the summer.
The Hammers stopper Mackenzie Arnold is also set to assume the number one spot for the Socceroos on home soil. And naturally as a goalkeeper, Walker has played an important role in helping Arnold progress.
"It was nice to pass on things I'd learned over my career," Walker reveals.
"Mackenzie is a very good goalkeeper. When I was coaching the academy boys, she used to join in with the under-18s.
"She more than held her own and the lads loved the competition. I then helped Paul Konchesky out with the goalkeepers and coaching, before I stepped up to the assistant manager role.
"I had a lot of input with Mackenzie. She was great to work with, and a proper Aussie character. She was third or fourth choice and at one point was unsure whether she was going to make it to the World Cup.
"Then she really knuckled down, worked really hard, and it looks as if she'll be first-choice at the World Cup."
Walker served under Konchesky during the 2022-23 campaign, after a spell working alongside Kevin Keen for the under-18s.
The Hammers finished eighth in the Women's Super League, and went on to reach the FA Cup fifth round and the League Cup semi-finals.
However, Konchesky was relieved of his duties prior to the final game of the season, and despite thoroughly enjoying the experience, Walker felt it best to step down from his role.
"I loved it. It was unknown territory to me. Konchesky asked me to step up and it was a very good education," Walker admits.
"We had the second highest points total the club had ever had, and performed strongly in the cup competitions. Konchesky left at the end of the season, and it felt right that I left with him.
"I could've stayed on but Paul is a good friend of mine, and it doesn't reflect well if I had stayed. As much as I was enjoying it, it was time to step away and reflect.
"I'm trying to finish all my badges and then we'll see what comes up in the next year. I've put off retirement for a couple more years. I feel quite fresh at 50."
Despite stepping aside, Walker has every confidence that the support from the club will only help the women's team go from strength to strength.
"Karen Brady has got more involved, the club has got more involved, and they really want to push it on," Walker concludes.
"So it was a testing decision because half of me would like to stay involved. It's a great time for the women's game.
"It's an evolving project. They'll push on this year and hopefully the women's game goes from strength to strength."
