Walsall legend Jimmy Walker bares all as he prepares to publish book

The book, which has been nine years in the making, will be packed with intriguing tales from across his 33 years in the game.

Size Isn’t Everything, written by the Saddlers’ all-time appearance holder himself, is scheduled to be released in early August.

“It’s got the football, it’s got the highs, the lows and everything you wouldn’t see normally from inside a changing room, as well as personal things from me and the players,” Walker explains.

“Hopefully, when you’ve read it, you’ll laugh with me, cry with me, but one thing is for sure, I am pleased that we’re all here to be able to share it together and I can share my story with you.

“It’s been therapeutic for me and it’s been nice to get it out. A lot of it, I’ve looked and thought, what an idiot I am, but lots of it made me laugh out loud again.

“There are so many good memories and I spoke to some of the lads about it to get their side of the story.”

Walker previously released an autobiography, ghost-written by Andy Poole, at the end of his testimonial year in 2003.

The following year, Walker departed Bescot after amassing 475 appearances during an 11-year spell which featured three promotions.

He went onto spend five years at West Ham, achieving promotion to the Premier League in his debut campaign, before spending a season as back-up goalkeeper at Tottenham Hotspur, where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Jermaine Defoe.

And finally, Walker returned to his beloved Saddlers in 2010 to break the all-time appearance record.

“I spent five years at West Ham, a year at Spurs and then I’ve got the years coming back to Walsall and probably leaving Walsall not how I would’ve wanted to in the end,” he continued.

“That’s the main focus of the book. I still go back to the very start and condense it a little bit and I’ve also got some good stories from my coaching, although I’ve not gone massively in-depth on that.

“Nick Mashiter (ex-E&S Walsall reporter) recommended that I write it and I’ve joined the dots up from the last book as there were things we couldn’t say at the time.”