Introduction
Walker Dwain Zimmerman (born May 19, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Nashville SC in Major League Soccer and the United States national team.
Club career
Youth and college
Zimmerman came through the youth academy at Gwinnett Soccer Association in Lilburn, Georgia, where he was mentored by former Atlanta Silverbacks and Charleston Battery manager Nuno Piteira. Zimmerman also went to Brookwood High School and played soccer there. He was coached by Daniel Klinect.
Zimmerman played college soccer at Furman University between 2011 and 2012. He was named First Team All-Conference 2011, Southern Conference Freshman of the Year 2011, and National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division I Men's All-America Second Team in 2012.
Professional
FC Dallas selected Zimmerman in the first round (No. 7 overall) of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. He made his professional debut on May 11, 2013 as a late substitute in a 2–1 victory against D.C. United.
On December 10, 2017, Zimmerman was traded by FC Dallas to new expansion side Los Angeles FC in exchange for $250,000 in General Allocation Money and $250,000 in Targeted Allocation Money. The two clubs also swapped allocation rankings with FC Dallas moving to #1 and Los Angeles FC moving to #11. During the 2019 season, Zimmerman was also an assistant coach for the UCLA Bruins men's soccer program.
On February 11, 2020, Zimmerman was traded to Major League Soccer expansion club Nashville SC in exchange for up to $1.25 million in General Allocation Money and a 2020 international roster spot.
On February 29, 2020, Zimmerman scored the first goal in Nashville SC history.
International career
On January 6, 2017, Zimmerman was called up for the first time to the United States national team by coach Bruce Arena. Zimmerman earned his first cap and start against Jamaica in a January Camp friendly on February 3, 2017. He was named player of the match. He scored his first goal (a header) on May 28, 2018, against Bolivia.
Personal life
Zimmerman was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on May 19, 1993, to Becky and David Zimmerman. He has two older siblings, Dawson and Carter. Walker Zimmerman is a Christian.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played November 7, 2021
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | CONCACAF | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Dallas | 2013 | MLS | 7 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2016 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 4 | ||
| 2017 | 22 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 89 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 110 | 8 | ||
| Los Angeles FC | 2018 | MLS | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 31 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | |||
| Total | 51 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 59 | 5 | |||
| Nashville SC | 2020 | MLS | 22 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2021 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 47 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 50 | 6 | |||
| Career total | 187 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 219 | 19 | ||
International
- As of match played October 13, 2021
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 2 | |
International goals
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | May 28, 2018 | Talen Energy Stadium, Chester, United States |  Bolivia |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | January 27, 2019 | State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States |  Panama |
2–0 | 3–0 |
Honors
FC Dallas
- U.S. Open Cup: 2016
- Supporters' Shield: 2016
Los Angeles FC
- Supporters' Shield: 2019
United States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2021
Individual
- MLS All-Star: 2019, 2021
- MLS Best XI: 2019, 2020
- MLS Defender of the Year: 2020