Ethan Walker is eager to build on his first Morecambe goal and make the most of opportunities that come his way.
21-year-old Walker joined the Shrimps on a season-long loan on Deadline Day in search of regular first-team football as he continues his development.
The attacker joined Rovers from Preston North End last summer, previously spending time on loan at Altrincham, Carlisle and Fylde among others.
He was a regular for the club’s Under-21 side last season in Premier League 2 and opened his Morecambe account in a 2-2 draw against Swindon over the weekend, slotting home from a tight angle after showing good feet to beat his man 10 minutes from time.
Swindon had initially gone in front through Dan Kemp but Derek Adams’ side hit back through Jake Taylor after half an hour. The Shrimps were reduced to 10 men when Yann Songo’o was judged to have brought down his man in the box, with Charlie Austin sticking away the resulting spot kick.
Jacob Davenport, who departed Ewood Park in the summer of 2022, came off the bench for the final 13 minutes against the Robins.
Walker made his Morecambe debut in a 2-1 defeat at Gillingham earlier this month and also featured against Liverpool Under-21s in the EFL Trophy several days later.
The youngster says the morale in the squad has made it easy to settle in at the Mazuma Stadium since his loan move.
“I am really happy," he told the club website. "I just want to get on the pitch and impress, whether that is a goal, an assist, an end product or making something happen in the final third.
“I like to get on the ball, go one-on-one and to beat players. We are in the EFL and it is hard for young players to come in and get that experience.
“Once we get given that opportunity, we have to battle, to fight and keep our place in the squad.
“It has been really easy to settle in, the lads are fantastic and the staff are brilliant. I feel they will get the best out of me.”
Morecambe are aiming to bounce back from last season’s relegation from League One and had a major rebuild over the summer, with a significant number of first-team players departing on free transfers.
Adams’ side currently sit 14th in the table, having taken 11 points from their opening eight matches, and are back in action when they head to Forest Green this weekend.
Elsewhere, John Buckley played just under an hour as Sheffield Wednesday were beaten 3-0 by Swansea.
It was the midfielder’s third appearance for the Owls since heading out on loan, having also played against Ipswich and Middlesbrough.
Xisco Munoz’s side are yet to win in the league this season and find themselves at the foot of the Championship table.
The Yorkshire club will be aiming to bounce back on Friday night when they welcome Sunderland to Hillsborough in front of the TV cameras.
Georgie Gent was also in action over the weekend, coming off the bench for the final seven minutes in Motherwell’s 1-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox.
Gent has made a couple of appearances in the Scottish Premiership, although the 20-year-old is still waiting for his first start since heading north of the border.
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