Had he thought, earlier in his career, that one day he’d be starting against champions Manchester City while wearing an Ipswich Town shirt? “Probably not,” he admitted. “I dreamt about it, but the reality of it, probably not.
“Now we’re here, you’ve got to embrace it and enjoy the moment and the experience.
“We’re going up and challenging ourselves against the best opposition in the world.”
Walton’s journey to this point hasn’t been easy. A product of Plymouth Argyle’s academy, he made the move to Brighton as a youngster, where he struggled for minutes and spent most of his time out on loan.
He helped Town secure promotion from League One up to the Championship in his first full season at the club, but a plantar fascia injury saw him lose his spot in the starting lineup. Now, midway through the club’s first Premier League campaign since 2002, he has it back.
“I think last year was a big year for me as I wasn’t playing. It just gave me time to improve on other bits.
“Taking a step out of the team was probably beneficial in a way. It’s been a lot of hard work and long may it continue.”
Having fallen behind Vaclav Hladky in the pecking order last season, Walton was linked with a move away from Ipswich. The situation looked set to continue when they signed Arijanet Muric from Burnley, leaving the 29-year-old as the clear second choice.
Asked whether he considered pushing for a departure to secure regular football, he replied: “Yeah, maybe a little bit, but not massively.
“I always had full belief that I’d be able to get back in the team here. Even on the back of making transfers in the summer, I always had belief that I was going to play for Ipswich. It’s the club I want to play for.
“To get the first game of the season was nice, then signing a new contract on the back of that. Obviously I’m settled here.
“Last year was a bit of a weird one. I got injured, you know the story, but I always had belief in myself, that I’d get back in the team at some point. It was just about making sure that I was doing the right things.
“To be part of this group in the Premier League, that was something I wanted to be a part of. That was my decision to stay, really.”
A goalkeeper’s career is tough. Walton described last season’s injury like ‘feeling a stone in your shoe’, and the mental side of being out of the team took its toll on him mentally.
Having a life outside of football is vital in such moments. He enjoys gardening and is currently watching Traitors on BBC One. The latter has become a popular source of conversation in the dressing room.
Ultimately, for him, Muric and highly-rated youngster Cieran Slicker – who all make up the goalkeeper’s union at Town – only one can start. Substitutions are incredibly rare.
“That’s the position I picked, I suppose,” Walton chuckled. “I knew it going into it, but it’s tough.
“The goalie union they talk about is really, really crucial, I think. You’re training with them every single day, so you need to have a good relationship with the other goalies and the coach, so that’s important.
“At the same time, I was frustrated that I wasn’t playing and I felt like I should be playing, but then me being like that and working hard in training pushes the person that’s starting every week. I think it has its positive effect all round, really.
“You always put yourself in their shoes. If I was playing, I’d want everyone that’s a part of the goalie group to be supportive of me, so I think it works both ways.
“It’s always about being supportive of your team-mate – any team-mate – whether it’s a defender, a striker, it doesn’t really matter. Making sure you’re there for each other, it’s important. The goalie group is really good here.
“Of course I want to play. The manager picks the team, so it’s his decision, so I was doing everything possible to make sure I was ready for when the time comes – whether it’s an injury, a lack of form, suspension, whatever it is.
“It was just about making sure that I, personally, was in the best position to go and do what I can do, to help the team – for it to almost be an easy transition. When the goalie does change, that it’s not a massive transition so it’s as smooth as possible for the team. I feel like I’ve done that.
“It’s obviously tough for Aro losing his position, but that’s the life of a goalie. I had the same last year. It’s about working hard together.”
Goalkeepers have to be mentally strong. Only a handful earn regular minutes in the Premier League, and Walton was always determined that he could be one of them.
“Having the mindset that I always wanted to be a Premier League goalie was key,” he stated. “I didn’t play last year as I planned to, but it’s obviously a massive step-up.
“You know that coming into the season. The level of opposition is really good and really high, but the quality we’ve got in our group is Premier League quality.
“It’s been a step-up, but it’s been enjoyable to watch it for the first part. Now playing in it has been really good.”
His impressive save against Chelsea – denying Cole Palmer with an acrobatic stop – certainly stands out as a key memory. On the flip side, getting clattered by Brighton’s Joao Pedro probably doesn’t. Walton was certainly surprised that the Brazilian international wasn’t sent off.
“At the time, I didn’t know what the ref was going to give,” he said. “I knew he’d probably book him.
“VAR looked at it and didn’t think it was enough for a sending off, so as players and as a club, we have to go on that decision. That was the decision that they felt right at the time.
“It’s probably not for me to say it’s a red card or whatever. It was painful, but it was one of those things, it can go either way I suppose.”
Regardless, his journey to the top has been exciting, with plenty of twists and turns. His first Premier League minutes actually came as an Ipswich player against Liverpool on the opening day of the campaign, albeit in unexpected circumstances.
“I was quite excited,” he recalled after being asked about his pre-match nerves. “Being the first game, it was pure excitement. I hadn’t played much last year, so it was one where I had to go out, show the best that I could do and do my best for the team while enjoying it as well.
“It was just a late call on Aro. He was struggling with a knock, so they wanted to leave it as late as possible. The goalie coach called me on my way in. We usually know the day before, but it just depends on what the game is.
“It was just excitement, probably playing in the club’s biggest game in the last 22 years. To be part of that team was really special. Obviously there were a lot of players in that team who played in League One.
“To step out there against Liverpool was a really special moment, both for us as players and everyone at the football club.”
Town will meet Liverpool again this weekend, with the two teams clashing at Anfield as the Reds chase the league title. For Walton, there aren’t many better sides when it comes to attacking.
“Them, Man City, Chelsea – they have top attacking lines,” he argued. “Throughout the whole 20 teams in the league.
“Liverpool are in a rich vein of form at the minute and are doing very well. They want to be champions this year. It’s going to be a tough test, but one we’re looking forward to.
“We have to do the things we do well, starting the game with real intensity is going to be important. Knowing our game plan and sticking to that as much as possible.
“They are obviously a great team with some outstanding players, so we know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s a challenge that we’ve got to look forward to and really stick to our game plan.”
