Rovers keeper Walton not looking to hand out any favours to former club Luton

Former Luton loanee Christian Walton won't be looking to hand out any favours to his old club when taking his place between the post for Blackburn Rovers this evening.

The 24-year-old spent six months at Kenilworth Road at the start of the 2016-17 season, playing 33 times, before being recalled by parent club Brighton & Hove Albion.

He spent the following two campaigns on loan at Wigan Athletic, before heading to Ewood Park back in August, and has started every single league game this term.

Even though Walton is a close friend of Town midfielder Glen Rea and still speaks positively of his time in Bedfordshire, he will be doing all he can to keep Luton out tonight, throwing a major spanner in the works of their survival battle.

Walton told the Rovers official website: “It’s all about ourselves, going there to get the three points and with each individual putting in a good performance to finish the season well to ensure the start of pre-season begins well.

"I’m looking forward to going back to Kenilworth Road, playing there and hopefully put in a good performance.

“I really enjoyed my time at Luton. I experienced a good club with good people and a good manager (Nathan Jones).

“It was a great group of lads and looking back it was probably one of my better loans.

“I was recalled by Brighton in the January of that season, so I didn’t get the full campaign, but it would have been great to have got into the play-offs with them.

“I’d like to think that I’ve played a small part in their journey to the Championship, but I think all credit has to go to the manager," he said.

“He’s put everything in place before he went to Stoke, and whilst it didn’t work out there for whatever reasons, it’s great that he’s had another opportunity to go back there.

“He’s got them fighting in the relegation battle, that shows by the results they’ve picked up since his return to the club.

“It’s going to be a good game and it’s one I’m really looking forward to.”

Walton has already been on the losing side against Luton this term, when James Collins and Matty Pearson were on target to seal a 2-1 win at Rovers back in September.

On going up against his former player, Jones himself added: "He did really well that season and he’s had a real good season at Blackburn.

"He's had some good loans, he's been brave, he's gone out, he's a real good lad.

"We were sorry to lose him.

"Maybe our pathway that season would have been slightly different if he'd have stayed, not that we would change any of our pathway, but it might have been as he we was a real settled influence in the squad and in the back four, so he was a big miss.

“I’m delighted to see him do well, I genuinely hope he doesn’t do well against us, but I hope we're good enough that won't have to talk about that.

"He’s a great lad, great character, a very good keeper, with a good future and really wants to work hard, so he's got a very good chance.”