Jack Walton hopes Dundee United will soon be the dominant team in the City of Discovery once more.
The English keeper played a huge part in the Terrors’ Championship title triumph last season as Jim Goodwin’s side returned to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
The 26-year-old played every single competitive minute and set a club record of 19 clean sheets.
Now, the Luton Town stopper has returned to Tannadice on another year-long loan and admits he cannot wait to experience top -light football, starting with the league season opener – a mouth-watering derby against city rivals Dundee.
Walton said: “I am delighted to be back and I am looking forward to the season ahead.
“I made it pretty clear at the end of last season that I had enjoyed my time up here and I think the natural progression for my career is to come back and have another season.
“Every footballer wants to play games but I have had to be patient in my career before.
“So to come up here to play every minute of every competitive game last season, I was delighted to do that.
“But as much as last season was really good, I also want to experience the big games in Scotland – there is no doubt about that.
“It is great to start with a Dundee derby.
“They are the sort of atmospheres I want to play in as it’s something that I thrive off.
“That’s something I really wanted to come up and experience.
“It is good for the city that both teams are in the top flight now and can fight it out.
“Hopefully by the end of the season the city will be tangerine.”
Walton knows he is likely to be much busier between the sticks this season compared to the previous campaign in the Championship.
However, one thing will definitely not change – his determination to keep clean sheets.
Walton, who has had a busier than usual summer after his partner gave birth to their second daughter, Primrose, days before last season’s Tannadice title party versus Partick Thistle, added: “I’ll just take each game as it comes.
“At the end of the day, I am there to keep the ball out of the net.
“That’s obviously something I strive to do, to keep as many clean sheets as possible. So that doesn’t change.
“Obviously there will be tougher opposition but it gives me a chance to show what I am made of.
“Luton have been really good to me, letting me go out last season and play football.
“They have now allowed me to come back on loan and continue my development as a player. I am really grateful for that.
“I have had conversations and they are happy with the way I performed last season.
“So the message is to go back out there and play at a level up – doing the same things that I did last season.”
Conversation