It’s been a massive 12 months for Perth GloryPGFC Academy product Walter Scott who made his full senior debut last season at AAMI Park and is currently playing a crucial role in the NPL side’s impressive title challenge.
The 18-year-old is a player who is always eager to learn and having risen through the ranks of the Academy, the importance of moments such as his professional debut for the club are certainly not lost on him.
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“It was great to be able to develop up through the Academy here under coaches such as Callum Salmon and Bobby Despotovski and to eventually earn a call-up to the first team was a dream come true,” Scott said.
“I’ve been here since I was 14 and it’s a club that I proudly associate myself with every day. I see it as an absolute privilege to be in that changing room and on that training track.”
The versatile defender had been training with the youth team the morning of his first appearance for the Hyundai A-League side, which isn’t the most traditional preparation for a professional debut, but it was a moment he’ll never forget.
“Coming off the bench for my first taste of professional football against Melbourne City was amazing,” he said.
“It was great to get 45 minutes under my belt.
“The following week was even better. When I found out I was travelling and then starting against Victory, it was just brilliant.”
And Scott made an immediate impact during his starting debut, delivering an inch-perfect assist for Scott Neville to open the scoring with only one minute and 13 seconds on the clock.
“I was just trying to get the ball back as quickly as I could and get it back in the mixer,” he recalled.
“I knew we had numbers at the back post, so it was great to be able to whip in a half-decent ball to Scotty [Neville] who finished emphatically.”
While Scott’s attention is firmly on finishing the NPL season with the Glory side enjoying a remarkable campaign, he’s also determined to build upon last season’s progress by becoming a regular fixture in the senior side.
“I just want to stay fit, train consistently and learn from guys like Jason Davidson, Matthew Spiranovic, Ivan Franjic and all the defenders, as well as everyone else at the club,” he said.
“I’m going to take as much information as possible into the National Youth League campaign and hopefully push into the First Team and cement a spot by doing the best I can each week.”
