Kevin Walker (Swedish footballer)

Kevin Walker
Walker training with his former club AIK.
Born	Kevin Edward Bertil Walker[1] 3 August 1989 Örebro, Sweden
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Association football career Playing position Centre midfielder Club information Current team Djurgårdens IF Number 8 Youth career 1994 Varbergs BoIS 1994–1998 Kalmar FF 1998–2000 ÖSK Ungdom 2001–2004 GIF Sundsvall 2005 Örebro SK Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 2006–2007 Örebro SK 6 (0) 2007–2011 AIK 26 (1) 2008 → Väsby United 3 (0) 2010 → Väsby United 8 (2) 2010 → Assyriska (loan) 7 (0) 2011 → GIF Sundsvall (loan) 8 (3) 2012–2014 GIF Sundsvall 81 (11) 2015– Djurgårdens IF 48 (6) National team 2006 Sweden U17 8 (3) 2008 Sweden U19 2 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2016. Musical career
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2013–present
Labels	Universal Music Sweden (2013–present)

Kevin Edward Bertil Walker (born 3 August 1989 in Örebro, Sweden) is a Swedish footballer and singer. He is a centre midfielder for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish first-tier league Allsvenskan. Walker was the winner of the 9th series of the Swedish version of Idol in 2013.^[2]

Football career

Club

Kevin Walker started his football career in Varbergs BoIS.^[3] Son of the former Örebro SK manager Patrick Walker, Kevin Walker made his senior debut for Superettan team Örebro SK in the 2006 season.^[4] Örebro SK was promoted to Allsvenskan and Walker made his Allsvenskan debut in the following season.^[4]

From 2007 to 2011, Walker was in the AIK organisation, having loan spells to Väsby United, Assyriska Föreningen and GIF Sundsvall. He moved to GIF Sundsvall at the end of the 2011 season.^[5]

Walker played for Superettan side GIF Sundsvall which he vice-captained during the autumn 2013. After the 2014 season, Walker signed a contract with Djurgårdens IF and was presented on 5 November 2014.^[3] In March 2016 Walker was appointed capten for Djurgårdens IF. ^[6]

International

Walker made eight Sweden national under-17 football team appearances in 2006 and scored three goals. He made two Sweden national under-19 football team appearances in 2008.

Walker and his brother Robert are also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland.^[7]

Honours

Club

AIK

• Allsvenskan (1): 2009
• Svenska Cupen (1): 2009
• Supercupen (1): 2010

GIF Sundsvall

• Superettan (1): 2014

Music career

Kevin Walker has been fascinated with music from a very young age; ever since he heard his Irish grandfather sing.^[8]

In Idol

In 2013, he auditioned to the Swedish Idol 2013 with the song "Soldier".^[9] The series in its ninth season was broadcast on TV4. His whole Idol adventure began after a video of him jamming with a teammate at a football club function caught the attention of the program's producers.^[10] A few of Walker's football league games for GIF Sundsvall were moved to avoid a clash with his television commitments during Idol.^[10][11]

Walker reached the final alongside Elin Bergman, with both of them singing the winning song "Belong". Walker won by popular vote. His winning prize includes a recording contract with Universal Music Sweden.^[12] In the final show, he and Bergman joined Robbie Williams in singing on Williams' song "Shine My Shoes".^[12]

Performances

Kevin Walker singing.

• Audition: "Soldier" (Gavin DeGraw)^[9]
• Bootcamp heats: – "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon)
• Week 1 (Theme "Here I am") – "Pride" (U2)
• Week 2 (Theme: "My Idol") – "Say" (John Mayer)^[13]
• Week 3 (Theme "Swedish music exports") – "Poker Face" (Lady Gaga)
• Week 4 (Theme: "Gone too soon") – "Behind Blue Eyes" (The Who)
• Week 5 (Theme: "Successful Idol singers") – "Hope and Glory" – (Måns Zelmerlöw)
• Week 6 (Theme: "Big Band Friday") – "It's My Life" (Jon Bon Jovi)
• Week 7 (Theme: "Hits in Swedish") – "Till dom ensamma" (Mauro Scocco) and "Välkommen in" (Veronica Maggio)
• Week 8 (Theme: "Unplugged") – "Don't Look Back in Anger" (Oasis) and "Hall of Fame" (The Script)
• Week 9 – Final 4
  • round 1 – (Theme: "Self written") – "Dreaming" (Peter Boström, Thomas G:son and Kevin Walker)
  • round 2 – (Theme: "Picked by jury") – "Free Fallin'" (Tom Petty)
• Week 10 – Semi-finals – Final 3
  • round 1 – (Theme: "Audition song") – "Soldier" (Gavin DeGraw)
  • round 2 – (Theme: "Chart topping") – "Home" (Daughtry)
• Week 11 – Final (Top 2)
  • round 1 – (Theme: "Own choice") – "Where the Streets Have No Name" (U2)^[12]
  • round 2 – (Theme: "Viewers' choice") – "Say" (John Mayer)
  • round 3 – (Theme: "Winner's song") – "Belong" (Kevin Walker)^[14]

After Idol

After winning the title, he was signed to Universal Music as part of the award, and released his debut single, the winning song "Belong"^[14] that has charted in Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart.^[15] The album also titled Belong made it to Top 3 in Swedish Albums chart.^[16]

In late December 2013 Walker was interviewed in the talk show The Late Late Show on RTÉ while visiting Ireland.^[17][18] He performed "Where the Streets Have No Name" during the show.

Discography

Album

Year	Album	Peak positions	Certification	Notes
		SWE [19]
2013	Belong	2		Track list "Belong" (3:02) "Dreaming" (3:12) "Pride (In the Name of Love)" (2:36) "Say" (3:15) "Välkommen in" (3:00) "Don't Look Back In Anger" (3:34) "Hall of Fame" (3:17) "Free Fallin'" (3:19) "Home" (3:12) "Soldier" (3:05) "Where the Streets Have No Name" (3:34) "I Will Be Here" (3:43)

Single

Year	Single	Peak positions	Certification	Album
		SWE [19]
2013	"Belong"	8		Belong

References

1. "Personuppgifter" (in Swedish). ratsit.se.
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30167995
3. https://web.archive.org/web/20141221203800/http://dif.se/2014/11/05/kevin-walker-till-djurgarden/. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. http://svenskfotboll.se/allsvenskan/person/?playerid=4675
5. Mellerborg, Stefan. "Kevin Walker till GIF Sundsvall". AIKFotboll.se, 28 November 2011. Retrieved on 7 May 2013.
6. Bohman, Per. "Klart: Han blir ny kapten i Djurgården". sportbladet.se, 25 March 2016. Retrieved on 15 April 2016.
7. Fitzmaurice, Aidan. "If Ireland can control Zlatan you have a chance". Evening Herald, 21 March 2013. Retrieved on 7 May 2013.
8. "Kevin Walker – Soldier – Idol Sverige 2013 (TV4)" (in Swedish). YouTube. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
9. "TV: Se när Kevin Walker gick vidare – en av 20 till livesända kvalet" (in Swedish). fotbollskanalen.se. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
10. Patrick Reilly (5 December 2013). "The extraordinary story of Swedish football's Pop Idol – Kevin Walker". Goal.com. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
11. "Pop 'idol' footballer forces fixture shift in Sweden". BBC Sport. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
12. Ben Burrows (7 December 2013). "Footballer's Got Talent as midfielder Kevin Walker WINS Sweden Pop Idol". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
13. ST.nu: Kevin sjunger idolens låt – I kväll sjunger han en låt av sin idol John Mayer. (Swedish)
14. Olof Adlercreutz (6 December 2013). "Kevin Walkers vinnarlåt läckte – För de allra flesta var det under Idol-finalen man fick höra "Belong" med Kevin Walker för första gången" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
15. SwedishCharts.com: Kevion Walker – "Belong" song page
16. SwedishCharts.com: Kevion Walker – Belong album page
17. Frida Söderlund (17 December 2013). "Kevin Walker uppträder på Irland" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
18. RTÉ Ten: Brendan O'Carroll for Late Late Show (Swedish)
19. "Kevin Walker discography". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 May 2013.