COLCHESTER United have signed keeper Sam Walker from Chelsea.

Manager Joe Dunne has today taken steps to increase his goalkeeping options by recruiting 21-year-old Walker on loan from Stamford Bridge until the end of the season.

Walker is yet to make his senior debut for Chelsea, but he can draw on considerable experience from loan spells at Bristol Rovers (this season), Yeovil and Northampton (last season) and Barnet (in 2011).

Walker will be vying with Mark Cousins for the No. 1 role, ahead of this Saturday’s crunch game at basement dewellers Hartlepool.

A lifelong Ipswich Town fan, Walker was a regular in Chelsea’s FA Youth Cup winning side of 2009-10.

He had mixed feelings when playing his first game at Ipswich in August, 2011, for loan club Northampton.

He helped the Cobblers to a shock 2-1 win over Town in a Carling Cup tie, having been a regular at Portman Road for the past 15 years as a supporter.