Walker is eager to progress at Wigan
JAMIE WALKER has promised goals, excitement and a boost to Wigan’s promotion challenge after completing a £300,000 move from Hearts to the English League One leaders. And the 24-year-old, who came close to signing for Rangers last summer, insists that a move to English football’s third-tier represents a ‘chance to progress my career’. Walker has signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Latics, having refused all offers to stay at Tynecastle beyond the end of his current contract in the summer. Backed into a position where they could lose the former Scotland Under-21 international for nothing, Hearts decided to cash in during the January window. After completing his move to the DW Stadium, the versatile attacker said: ‘I have been at Hearts a long time, it’s a great club with great people and I played a lot of games there and scored a lot of goals. ‘This is a good change for me and certainly a club where I can progress my career. ‘I had a few clubs sniffing around but as soon as I came here, saw the facilities, met the manager, watched the game and saw how the manager wants us to play and how that will suit me perfectly, I chose here. ‘The team are flying high at the top of the table and hopefully going to the Championship — hopefully I can get into the team and contribute a few goals. ‘This has been on the cards for a while but I’m delighted to now get it over the line and concentrate on playing my football.’ Walker joined Hearts at the age of ten and made his debut against Inverness Caley Thistle in August 2012. He went on to make a total of 181 appearances in a maroon shirt and bagged 40 goals. A Hearts spokesman said: ‘The club would like to wish Jamie every success in his career