Tottenham academy graduate Anton Walkes killed in boating accident, age 25

There’s breaking news this morning from the United States, and it is tragic. Charlotte FC has announced that Anton Walkes, their utility defender and a graduate of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, has passed away. He was just 25 years old.

This news is brand new and we don’t know what happened or what caused his death, but 25 years old is just far, far too young for anyone to die. It is horrifying stuff, and our thoughts are with Anton’s friends, family, and teammates at this terrible time.

Walkes joined Tottenham’s academy as a 16-year old schoolboy and as a young player joined Spurs on their preseason tours a couple of times. He was viewed as a promising young player, but not one who was likely to make it at a Champions League-level club as a regular contributor. I believe he made a few benches with Spurs’ first team, but he never made a senior appearance for Tottenham. He went on loan to Atlanta United in MLS in 2017 and was later sold to Portsmouth before eventually rejoining Atlanta in 2020. He was selected by Charlotte FC in 2021 as part of the MLS Expansion Draft.

We will update this article with more information as it becomes known.

Update: According to the Miami Herald, Walkes was critically injured yesterday in a boating accident in Miami near Miami Marine Stadium, after which he succumbed to his injuries.