Anthony Walker: Wales forward can return from retirement after brain scan

Anthony Walker was in the side when Wales won the European Championship in 2015 and has won six international caps

Wales international Anthony Walker is targeting the 2021 Rugby League World Cup having being cleared to return to play three years after failing a brain scan.

The former St Helens prop, 28, retired on medical advice shortly before the 2017 World Cup.

But the all clear means Walker can take up an offer from a Championship club to play if the 2020 season resumes.

"The World Cup next year - that's my goal," said Walker.

"If I can get selected this year and be there for 2021 that would be fantastic."

Returning to play was far from Walker's thoughts as the 2017 World Cup approached.

A scan showed an abnormality in his brain that had been there since birth, and just like that it seemed his career was over.

He was due to attend an NHS follow-up scan later in 2020, but opted to pay for a private examination himself, with the results setting him on the path to a playing return - news that was confirmed on what turned out to be a very Good Friday for Walker.

"Being a bit eager, I paid for a private scan back in February and got the results a week later," he said.

"I just had to go to see some neurology specialist for my brain and go and see the RFL's chief medical officer to speak to him regarding what's the next process on playing, and it got cleared up on Good Friday."

Walker says Wales Rugby League have been "fantastic" with him since he was forced out of the sport, appointing him as coach to their Under-19s team.

He began getting back in shape around 10 months ago before joining the unnamed Championship team for training sessions.

"I've done pre-season since November with a club in the Championship with an option hopefully to sign if I got the all-clear," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"Since this has come out I've had a couple of calls off other clubs in the Championship and had a couple of offers, but I should be quite loyal to the club that supported me since November."

Walker admits the coronavirus pandemic is well timed from the point of view of his playing return as it will mean everyone is lacking in match fitness.

"Everyone was getting five or six games into the season where people are getting fit again and I hadn't played for two or three years," he said.

"So with the coronavirus situation, everybody's in the same boat going back so I'm not behind everybody else in the sense of match fitness."

Wales are due to face Tonga, Papua New Guinea and the Cook islands in the pool stage at the 2021 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in England from 23 October to 27 November.