Pal Teddy pointed me towards U's

Carl Marston

JIMMY Walker has been a revelation since his loan switch to Colchester United - and part of the credit must go to Teddy Sheringham!

Former England legend Sheringham spent his final season playing for the U's last term, and it was he who helped to persuade Walker, his old team-mate at West Ham, to take the plunge and drop into League One.

Experienced keeper Walker has only been on the losing side once since his loan move from Upton Park. The 35-year-old recently signed a month's extension to his deal, which will keep him at the club for another five games, starting with tomorrow's trip to Bristol Rovers.

It's been a good move for Walker, and he thanked Sheringham for his words of encouragement.

“I'm a big fan of Teddy Sheringham. We're good friends, and I had a chat with him before I signed,” revealed Walker.

“He said that Colchester United was a brilliant club, and he was right. I didn't know much about the club, except for some painful memories of a few trips to Layer Road with Walsall!

“But things have fortunately been going well. It's a great place to play football,” added Walker.

Sheringham was the most high-profile signing in the U's history when he arrived at Layer Road in the summer of 2007. He scored four goals in 21 appearances before injury took its toll and he finally retired.