Growing up, Struan Walker wanted to be the best hockey player in the world.
Now, aged 24, he’s not too far away from achieving his dream.
That a Scot can lay claim to being one of the very best hockey players on the planet is nothing short of remarkable and while Walker is quick to play down any talk of being one of the world’s greatest, his statistics speak for themselves.
The top flight of Dutch hockey, the Hoofdklasse, is widely considered to be one of the leading hockey leagues in the world. And in the 2025/26 season, in which Walker was making his debut in the Netherlands playing for Oranje-Rood, the Scot was crowned Player of the Season and won the Golden Stick, which is awarded to the league’s top scorer.
It was quite the start to his career in the Netherlands but Walker has always possessed a quiet confidence that he had what was needed to excel in the hockey-mad nation.
“I was so excited about going to the Netherlands - there's a lot of space in your head to start thinking, oh this could be really bad, but what's the point thinking negative things? Because yes, it could be bad, but it also could be really good,” says Walker.
“I knew that if I could create a good relationship with the team and the club, there was a good chance it would go well so I was confident going in because I knew I was good enough. I wasn’t nervous - I just felt like this was an opportunity for me rather than a risk.
“I didn't play great in the first couple of games of last season but then but then I scored two goals against Amsterdam, two against Pinoke and three against Bloemendaal and after that, I was like, okay this is going to go well.”
For Walker to have made such an impact in the Dutch league is a testament to the decade of work he’d put in prior to his move to Eindhoven, the city in which Oranje-Rood is based.
Having begun his hockey career at Clydesdale Hockey Club in Glasgow, he then had stints in the German and English leagues prior to his move to the Netherlands. His Scottish senior debut came in 2021 whilst still a teenager and he broke into the GB squad two years later and so while it’s clear he’s been on a remarkably fast trajectory since his early days at Clydesdale, the Glaswegian refuses to sit back and enjoy any of his successes just yet.
“And as a kid, I was always thinking that I was going to be the best player in the world. I was daydreaming about it for sure, and I always had a bit of arrogance. Things are going well for me now, but I definitely don't think I'm the best player in the world,” he says.
“It's crazy to be a part of this (in the Netherlands), but I don't think I'll take it all in until I'm finished with my career.
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“At the moment, there's an element of nothing's enough - I’m not anywhere near where I want to be and I've definitely not peaked yet, so I've got to keep on pushing”
That Walker is equally ambitious in both club and international hockey has resulted in a hectic schedule for the Scot. He spends half his week in Eindhoven with Oranje-Rood and the other half in London, training with the GB squad. His primary goal with GB is to be a part of the 2028 Olympic Games squad and while the constant travelling back and forth could prove to be a drain for some, Walker is just relishing the opportunity to excel in both club and international hockey.
“It is a lot combining GB and club hockey but I'm happy in both places, which makes it so much easier,” he says.
“The GB team is a really strong team and I know I need to perform to the very best of my ability to make the Olympic team, but I don't actually feel too much pressure right now. I just feel excitement to be given the chance to get on the pitch with GB, because that's such an honour.”
Tomorrow, Walker and his Oranje-Rood teammates will begin the new Hoofdklasse season, with their opening match away in Bilthoven against SCHC. And given the Scot’s strong showing last season, he’s well aware that he goes into the new campaign a marked man in the eyes of his opponents. It’s a problem he’s happy to have, though.
“To win the Golden Stick last season was really nice and I'm really proud of it, but it doesn't compare to what winning the league would feel like, which is what we want to do this season,” he says.
“I am aware of second season syndrome, but it's not something I'm worrying about.
“I know that if you're a goal scorer, other teams want to reduce the amount of goals you score and I suppose there are a couple of “Roy Keanes” trying to stop you, but it's not been too bad so far.
“It’s good that other teams might be keeping an eye on me because that pushes me to be better so that I can still be effective. And if they're covering me, that opens up lots of doors for other players in my team.
“It’ll be a challenge, but it's a pretty great one to have.”
