A TWIST of fate has seen York City end up with the management team many people expected to take charge of Championship team Rotherham United last season.

When Billy McEwan and Colin Walker were spotted sat together in the stands as Rotherham were humbled 3-0 during a January FA Cup tie at home to Yeovil, speculation became rife that the out-of-work duo were about to succeed an underfire Ronnie Moore at Millmoor.

The rumours did not carry a grain of truth but did, however, bring McEwan and Walker into more regular contact.

So much so that little more than three months after taking charge at KitKat Crescent, McEwan made Walker his new right-hand man.

Walker has returned to York almost 30 years after he nearly joined the Minstermen as a player.

He said: "York were the first professional club I ever played at. Wilf McGuinness invited me over to play for the reserves when I was 17 but nothing ever came of it."

Walker went on to sign for Barnsley and also played for Sheffield Wednesday and Doncaster Rovers before carving out a successful five-year career in New Zealand, where he won international caps after being granted citizenship.

He took charge of non-League Maltby Main after hanging up his boots and then became Barnsley's community officer in 1993 and was promoted to youth team coach before being appointed assistant director of the academy at Oakwell when it opened in 1997.

In December 2002, he was named as new first-team manager Glyn Hodges' assistant but a ten-year coaching association with the Tykes ended when both were relieved of their duties the following summer.

Former City players Jon Parkin and Rory Prendergast are two of the "14 or 15" players he brought through the Barnsley ranks still attached to League or Conference clubs.

Since leaving Oakwell, Walker has worked as Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club community officer, scouted for Northampton Town and, until last month, was a member of Leeds United's academy staff.

Now, he is looking forward to his next challenge, saying: "The club finished might have finished 17th in the Confernce but we have a blank canvas to work on now.

"Billy must be the most organised and committed football person I have ever met. I thought I was passionate about football but he beats me in that respect.

"I just want to pass my expertise on. There are a lot of players between the age of 15 and 20 and I believe I specialise in that area.

"I will be looking after the reserves and oversee anything below that, including the youth team and the Football in the Community department.

"I'll be whatever the manager wants me to be though. I see myself as a coach and an ally for Billy and if he wants me to work with the first team I will do."