Goal-scoring debutant Josh Walker has vowed to remain loyal to Scunthorpe United – no matter what interest he may generate during his time with the club.

The 22-year-old should this morning have been a couple of days into a six-month deal with the Iron, one which the club had the option to extend by a further year in the summer, after penning a contract at Glanford Park on Friday.

FIFA rules though dictate that because Walker has already represented Watford and Stevenage this season, he can only play for a further club on loan.

That meant the original deal had to be scrapped in favour of a hastily-arranged temporary switch, which the Newcastle-born schemer completed on route to United's game at Colchester, where Walker scored after eight minutes in a 1-1 draw.

Securing a long-term stay with Scunthorpe though, he insists, remains his primary aim.

"In my eyes I'm a Scunthorpe player now," Walker told the Telegraph.

"I'm going to enjoy myself while I'm here, but hopefully things can be sorted out sooner rather than later for a permanent deal.

"That's what was going to happen and I still want it to. It had all been signed, but we had to rip up it up because it couldn't happen."

Walker's words will come as some relief to Alan Knill, who admitted the midfielder's efforts against the U's had heightened fears he could instead join another club in the summer.

But the philosophical Iron boss said if such a situation does arise, he will be thankful of being able to call on the former Middlesbrough trainee at all.

"It's a big concern (Walker could go elsewhere), because he's a talented footballer," Knill said.

"But the good thing is, we have quite a good relationship with him.

"He's someone I've been trying to sign for probably four years. He knows that and when we spoke about a permanent signing he wanted to come here.

"The disappointing thing is I want him to be my player, but hopefully we can still do something about that.

"At the moment he's only on loan but I'm happy that he's here, which is a big thing.

"He's dropped his wages from what he was on at Watford because we'll give him the opportunity to play.

"I'm hopeful he'll do really well and if he does really well and we don't sign him and he moves on to something better, so be it."