Aston Villa Walters began his career as an apprentice at
Aston Villa on leaving school in the summer of 1980, turning the professional a year later – just after Villa's
Football League First Division title triumph – and made his competitive debut on 28 April 1982 in a 4–1 league defeat at home to
Leeds United, two months after the departure of manager
Ron Saunders – who had given Walters his first professional contract – and the promotion of assistant
Tony Barton to the manager's seat. Walters was not included in Villa's squad for the
final of the
European Cup on 26 May 1982, which they won 1–0 against
Bayern Munich, the
West German champions. Walters, still only 18, made 22 league appearances in the
1982–83 campaign as Villa finished sixth. He scored once that season. He was firmly established as a regular player in the
1983–84 season, appearing 37 times in the league and scoring eight goals, though Villa had a disappointing season and finished 10th, with Tony Barton being sacked at the end of the season and replaced by
Graham Turner. On the opening day of the 1985–86 season Aston Villa were soundly beaten 4–0 by Manchester United prompting Walters to suggest to Graham Turner that he takes up a free role in the upcoming second game against Champions Liverpool. The move was initially a great success and Walters scored what he thought would be the winner, only for Jan Molby to equalise late on in a credible 2–2 draw. Walters scored a dynamic overhead kick in front of the Holte end after only 3 minutes in a 3–1 victory against Luton Town on August 31, 1985 . Walters, now highly rated as one of the country's most promising young players, remained in favour under
Graham Turner, but Villa were in deep trouble throughout the
1985–86 season, finishing 16th and only avoiding relegation thanks to a late run of good form. Walters was restricted to 21 league games due to injury problems in
1986–87 as Villa were relegated in bottom place. Turner had been sacked in September and replaced by
Billy McNeill, who in turn lost his job after relegation to be succeeded by
Graham Taylor. Walters appeared in the first 24 games of Villa's ultimately successful
quest to regain First Division status, scoring seven goals.
Rangers During the late 1980s, Scottish club
Rangers signed several English players, including internationals
Terry Butcher,
Trevor Steven,
Gary Stevens,
Chris Woods and
Ray Wilkins. The Celtic support subjected Walters to monkey noises and the throwing of bananas and other fruit. Walters himself later stated that his worst experience in Scotland was at
Heart of Midlothian's
Tynecastle, where the abuse was compounded by object-throwing. The abuse at Tynecastle was widely covered in the Scottish media, with commentator
Archie Macpherson criticising it during the highlights package on
Sportscene.
Southampton Walters was signed by
David Merrington in January 1996 to assist in the Saints' desperate fight against relegation from the
Premiership. He made his debut as a substitute against
Middlesbrough on 20 January 1996 and made a total of five league and four FA Cup appearances (with the Saints reaching the quarter-finals of the competition), but struggled to make any real impression with the side. His final appearance was in a dreadful match away to
Queens Park Rangers, which Saints lost 3–0 meekly surrendering in a shoddy second half. At the end of the season, with Saints' Premiership status secured for another season, Walters was released, moving on to
Swindon Town, as Graeme Souness – the man who signed him for Liverpool five years earlier – was arriving at Southampton to succeed the sacked Merrington.
Swindon Town Walters joined
Swindon Town on a free on 31 July 1996 and made his debut on 17 August in the 2–0 defeat to
Norwich City at
Carrow Road. His first goal for the Robins came via a 26th-minute penalty during the 2–1 league win over
Tranmere Rovers on 14 September 1996. At
the County Ground, Walters was "sometimes brilliant, but at other times could be very frustrating". Walters played a total of 126 matches for Swindon in which he scored 28 goals before he was released on 17 November 1999.
Bristol Rovers Having been told that he was no longer required by Swindon the 35-year-old joined
Ian Holloway's
Bristol Rovers side on a free transfer. He spent three years at the
Memorial Stadium playing 96 times and scoring 14 goals before he finally retired on 26 April 2002, five weeks before his 38th birthday. The penultimate season of his career saw Rovers slip into Division Three, and they struggled at this level too, finishing the season just one place – though many points – above relegated
Halifax Town. ==England career==