Harlequins' Charlie Walker finds a new home in Italy

Former England sevens player Charlie Walker has found himself a new club after agreeing to join PRO14 outfit Zebre. The winger had played nearly 100 matches for Harlequins before bowing out at the Londoners at the end of this season.

A Leicester Tigers academy product, Walker moved to London in 2011 and became an under-20 Six Nations winer with England the following year. He was also called up to the English sevens squad, playing in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

After a couple of years on loan in the Championship, he returned to the Stoop and his career accelerated under Conor O’Shea, who is now coach of the Italy national team.

The 26-year-old, who scored 27 tries in his 60 Premiership appearances, will now link up with his new team in Italy in July for pre-season training.

“I’m very excited by this great opportunity at Zebre that will also allow me to test myself in a context of a different culture.

?? former @EnglandRugby U20 & Seven winger @charliejnwalker joins @PRO14Official italian side ?? Zebre from ??????? @Harlequins ???

?? "I’m looking forward to not only a change, but being out my comfort zone. ? is the right club for me"

Get to know him ??https://t.co/7PPqPXyLV0 pic.twitter.com/flYdjwvJiu

— Zebre Parma ? (@ZebreParma) May 23, 2019

“The club has great ambitions and clear objectives of what it wants to become. After talking to coach Michael Bradley about the rugby style he wants to play, it was immediately clear to me that Zebre are the right club for my future.”

The Italian club’s manager Andrea De Rossi added: “A wing is coming. Walker is an extreme player due to his speed, dynamism, great technique and good tackling as he also demonstrated with the England national sevens.

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?2011 ?? 2019 ? • • After 7 of the best years of my life followed by one of the toughest, I will be leaving Harlequins at the end of the season. Absolutely gutted to not make the ? club. However to have represented such a prestigious club 96 times and to score 44 tries, it has been an absolute honour. I would firstly like to thank the fans who have been there through the highs & lows, as well as the coaches and staff from both Surrey Sports Park & the Stoop. Secondly – a huge shout out to all the lads I’ve had the pleasure to play with, especially those who’ve been at the club since my day 1. You’ve made it a pleasure to come to work every day. Huge couple of weeks coming up which ill be putting everything into, lets go get it ??! #COYQ

A post shared by Charlie Walker (@cjnwalker) on May 5, 2019 at 10:29am PDT

“He is certainly an excellent finisher. He immediately showed interest in the Zebre project, coming to Parma to see the club, get to know the staff and the city before signing.

“He is a close friend of David Sisi and has been positively referenced by Conor O’Shea. Everything has made the process that led to the agreement simple and quick.”

WATCH: The RugbyPass documentary on Zebre and the rugby life in Italy