Goalkeeper Christian Walton joins Blackburn Rovers on loan

Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Christian Walton has joined Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan.

The 23-year-old keeper heads to Ewood Park on the back of a similar spell in the Championship with Wigan Athletic last season, and will now continue his pre-season programme with the Lancashire club.

Albion head coach Graham Potter said, “We’ve been able to have a really good look at Christian over the past three weeks during pre-season training, and he has undoubted potential.

“We have a lot of very good goalkeepers at this club, and given the position is a tough one, where there isn’t the same rotation as an outfield player, we feel this is a great way for Christian to continue the excellent progress he’s made over the previous three seasons.

“It’s clear he’s already benefitted enormously from a year at Luton Town and the two years he’s spent with Wigan Athletic. This move will help him continue developing and working towards his ambition of breaking into our first-team squad.”

Walton joined Albion from his hometown club Plymouth Argyle in 2013, and has since had brief loan spells with Bury, Plymouth and Southend United. He’s also played three times for the first-team, under Sami Hyypia and Chris Hughton.

Walton has also gained international honours, playing for England’s under-19s, under-20s and under-21s, where he worked with current England boss Gareth Southgate, and Albion technical director Dan Ashworth.

Over the past three seasons, the Cornishman has worked his way up the divisions, with a series of impressive long-term loans: first under former Albion player and coach Nathan Jones at Luton Town; followed by back-to-back campaigns at Wigan, where he helped the club win promotion to the Championship from League One in 2018.

This will be Walton’s second season at Championship level, and Rovers kick off the new EFL season with a home game against Charlton Athletic on Saturday 3rd August.