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26 November, 1965

Happy birthday Des Walker! (born 1965)

On this day in 1965 Forest and England legend Des Walker is born in Hackney.

Player legacies

Club legend birthday
Des Walker pictured in 2003.
Des Walker pictured in 2003. Image: Holdenbuckley / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Des Walker became one of the most admired defenders in Forest history, and his story began in Hackney before he grew into a City Ground favourite.

A centre-back with electric pace, timing and calm recovery defending, Walker came through at Forest and became a major figure during the late Brian Clough years. His reliability made him central to the team’s identity, especially in an era when Forest remained dangerous in cup competitions.

Des Walker pictured in 2003.
Des Walker pictured in 2003. Image: Holdenbuckley / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Walker also became an England international, winning 59 caps between 1988 and 1993. For many supporters, that international status only confirmed what they already saw each week: a quick defender who could rescue dangerous moments without needing fuss or showmanship. His fan chant was telling: "You'll never beat Des Walker!".

His Forest career later included a return to the club, adding another chapter to an already strong connection.

Des Walker Interview

Sources

EnglandStats; England Football Online; Sporting Heroes ([englandstats.com](https://www.englandstats.com/player.php?pid=1005&utm_source=chatgpt.com))

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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On this day in …
1887
Early Notts County FA Cup win

Forest won an early competitive Nottingham derby in the FA Cup, beating Notts County 2–1 at the Gregory Ground. The fixture belonged to football…

Rivalry and derby lore
1965
Happy birthday Des Walker! (born 1965)

Des Walker became one of the most admired defenders in Forest history, and his story began in Hackney before he grew into a City…

Player legacies