Walter played at City during the same time as his namesake Samuel, but the two were unrelated and couldn't have been much different in their footballing style. Walter was born in Fife and played for East Fife and then Raith Rovers before he arrived in Leicestershire in December 1919. He made his debut the following February in an away game at Stockport County, playing as a wing-half.

But he could never nail-down a first-team starting role during his three seasons at the club, making 32 league appearances and scoring one goal. Nicknamed 'Wattie', Bristol Rovers took him on after leaving City but his time there lasted just over a year before he moved back up to the lower Scottish leagues with Clackmannan and Lochgelly United.