Goalkeepers have a very different career trajectory to outfield players.
While a brilliant young striker can hope for appearances from the age of about 16, in relatively high divisions, keepers are held back. The position they play is too important, demands authority, and you can’t bring them on as a sub to get minutes here and there.
So even the best youth prospect goalies start much lower down the tree than their outfield counterparts, as we’ve seen with Chelsea’s Nathan Baxter. While his youth team peers went into Championship teams on loan as teenagers, he has had to start much lower down.
Now 23 he’s worked his way up to the second flight though, where he’s featuring and impressing for Hull City, and now West Brom news report that the Baggies want to take him on next season.
This could be a permanent move rather than a loan, but Chelsea will be reluctant to let a talent they’ve spent so long developing go.
