Walker has become increasingly frustrated at playing second fiddle to Scotland international Sullivan this season. After failing to move up the pecking order despite achieving two shut-outs in the two matches he stepped in for the suspended Sullivan, Walker aired his grievances: "Neil Sullivan is his (George Graham's) favourite goalkeeper and that is it. I kept two clean sheets and played well but there is no reward at the end of it. It leaves me thinking why did I bother?"
The Watford-born keeper is not accustomed to sitting on the substitutes' bench. Walker was one of only three players not to miss a single second of Premiership football last term, but has amassed just over 300 minutes in 2000-01. More worryingly for Walker, he has only played through necessity rather than choice this season, with Sullivan serving suspensions for two red cards.
Against West Ham and Southampton, Walker kept out everything thrown at him, making nine saves - six from shots struck inside the area - and cleanly claiming eight crosses. This is all the more impressive when you consider that Walker has seen little action in the 2000-01 Premiership, but has obviously kept himself sharp.
For the season as a whole, he has stopped an impressive 82% of shots ‚Çô eight percentage points better than Sullivan - and conceded a goal every 104 minutes on average, compared to one per 65 minutes for Tottenham's first-choice stopper.
Both keepers were unrivalled, number one picks during 1999-2000, and although Sullivan conceded 24 more goals than Walker, the two shot-stoppers batted away roughly the same ratio of efforts on target faced. Given that, and the fact that Walker has by no means disgraced himself when he has filled in for Sullivan, it is perhaps a little surprising that goalkeeping duties have not been more equally shared between the two this term.
But with Sullivan clearly Graham's favourite, Walker feels that he has been left in an "impossible" position at the club. If he does decide to end his association with Spurs, after 11 years as a professional at White Hart Lane, recent performances suggest that there will be no shortage of managers willing to take him on board.
