Atlanta United signed Anton Walkes from Portsmouth FC on Jan. 9, 2020. The defender started 18 of his 20 appearances in MLS and Concacaf Champions League play in 2020. Walkes spent the 2017 season with Atlanta on loan from English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Primarily deployed as a right back, Walkes made 20 appearances, 17 starts and scored two goals in the 2017 MLS regular season and made one playoff start. He returned to Tottenham following the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs and was then loaned to Portsmouth for the remainder of the 2017-18 EFL League One season. He made 12 appearances and scored one goal on his team debut and added one assist.
Walkes transferred to Portsmouth permanently on July 18, 2018. During the 2018-19 season, he made 24 appearances while scoring one goal and helped lead the club to a fourth-place finish in the table, earning a berth in the League One playoffs. Portsmouth also won its first EFL Trophy after defeating Sunderland 5-4 in penalties in Wembley Stadium. Walkes made 10 appearances during the 2019-2020 season and scored one goal during EFL Trophy play.
He spent his entire youth career with Spurs and ultimately made his First Team debut against Gillingham on Sept. 21, 2016, subbing on for the final 10 minutes during a 5-0 win in the Third Round of EFL Cup. Walkes also appeared in two matches during the 2016 International Champions Cup (ICC) against Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
2020 (Atlanta United): Started 18 of his 20 appearances across MLS and Concacaf Champions League play. MLS: Started 15 of his 17 appearances and tallied one assist on Sept. 5 against Orlando. Concacaf Champions League: Made three starts; against FC Motagua in the Round of 16 and the first leg of the quarterfinals against Club América.
2017 (Atlanta United): Started 17 of his 20 league appearances. Scored two goals; July 4 against San Jose and Sept. 13 against New England. MLS Cup Playoffs: Started Atlanta’s first round match against Columbus Crew SC.
