Former Portsmouth and Tottenham man makes claim about standard of MLS compared to League One

The versatile performer departed Pompey to join Atlanta United in January.

That represented a return to the Georgia side for Walkes, having made 20 appearances during a loan spell from Tottenham in 2017.

In total, Walkes scored three times in 66 games during his two years at Fratton Park. The Blues allowed him to leave so he could reunite with his partner and child who live in America.

The 23-year-old made five outings for Atlanta before the shutdown of football amid the coronavirus crisis.

And not only does he feel the MLS is on par with the Championship but he reckons there are players in the division who could move to top European clubs.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Walkes said: ‘I think you’ll only see MLS get better and better. A lot of people’s opinions have changed of late. The rate the league is going at, you’ll only see it get better.

‘Younger players are coming here. It’s not a place if you’re older and just somewhere to see our the last two or three years of your career. It’s way beyond that stage.

‘I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to try something different.

‘The stadium is perfect, it’s amazing, the atmosphere is incredible. They support you, sing their songs and they want to make you happy which helps you enjoy the game so much more.

‘In terms of comparison, it’s a lot better than League One, I didn’t get many games in the Championship but I would say MLS is definitely on a par and some of the top teams could even go further.

‘Some of the teams, the quality of the players, they could move to Premier League teams or top teams in Europe.

‘In the next few years you’ll see a crazy amount of top players coming to the league and if you look again in 10 years’ it will be in a totally different place.’

Walkes believes moving Stateside when he was just 19 helped get him out of his comfort zone.

And the former Dulwich Hamlet youth player feels he’s reaped the rewards.

‘It was something totally different, I had to leave my family, my comfort zone and it was such a big change,’ added Walkes.

‘I realised I couldn’t sit and play reserve or under-23s football anymore. I was sitting in the dressing room one day, Mauricio Pochettino came over and asked me how I felt about the move.

‘Pochettino said he knew the coaching staff and said I’d get more minutes and, after speaking to my family, it was definitely something I had to do.

'I’d always recommend coming here rather than dropping down the leagues in England.

‘Some guys have been at academies since they were eight years old and to leave at 21 or 22, it’s a big wrench, but it’s definitely worth leaving your comfort zone.

‘I’m a family man, my family mean the world to me. Stepping away was always hard. But you have to realise there’s opportunities elsewhere, be brave and take it full steam ahead.

‘I met my girlfriend while I was there, we’ve got a little one and that was a plus side and I’ve got my own little family now to keep me focused and that’s always important.’