Artell, or his scouts, must have seen something they liked about Walker or he wouldn’t have signed him in the first place. However, as we know with our own young players, sometimes things don’t work out as hoped or planned for. A few years ago most of us that saw his first few games thought that James Baillie looked a cracking prospect at right back but, for some reason or other, it didn’t happen for him. Dan Udoh was also signed and got few chances for the first team - let go in the summer and now can’t stop scoring for Telford; it may be two divisions below but perhaps he’s found his level... or his confidence and will play at a higher level in a year or two.

Clearly the manager thinks Walker is below Wintle and Jones (and Ng and others?) in the pecking order for a CM berth, but that doesn’t mean he’s given up on him necessarily. I reckon Walker will be better off playing week in, week out in the Conference than trotting out for the Under 23s on a Tuesday and warming the bench on Saturdays. Either way it should tell Artell if he has what it takes to warrant a new contract next summer - after all, Green will almost be drawing his pension then and if things go well Jonah may have been lured elsewhere