Noah Dupont U18 West Bromwich Albion played a full game loss to Leicester City. No sign of: Jacob Borgnis Reading (U21) Alex Lienard Sunderland (U18) Adam Watson Stoke City (U21) Marley Leuluai Burnley (U18) Henry Gray Ipswich (U21)
Not sure if I have have missed any.
Edit Jacob Borgnis carrying a red card from last season so maybe suspended
Noah Dupont U18 West Bromwich Albion played a full game loss to Sunderland. 1-3 (No kiwi derby with no sign of Alex Lienard)
No sign of: Jacob Borgnis Reading (U21) Alex Lienard Sunderland (U18) Marley Leuluai Burnley (U18) Henry Gray Ipswich (U21)
Adam Watson Stoke City (U21) Nathan Lowe who has been Watsons teammate through most of his Stoke juniors and the main teammate keeping him out of the starting side has gone on loan to Walsall in league two and has picked up two goals in his second game against Huddersfield Town. Hopefully with Lowe gone it gives Watson a to play.
Senior team have a League Cup game at Wimbledon AFC tonight. He might be a chance of being on the pine for that game.
Missed that one, its looking like he might be their third choice keepers
I think he's 4th, but one guy is injured, and then another keeper may go out on loan.
He could remain with the U21s all season, with Ipswich in the EPL and their manager always wanting 3 keepers around the club in the larger squad.
Not a bad outcome for Gray if so. An experience in itself being at a club in the EPL. The U21s mostly play midweek, so I'm guessing he would get to be at every EPL game in case of emergency.
Missed this previously as I don't have as much time to look out for Kiwis on the move these days but Adam Supyk is back in the UK.
Was on trial at Dunfermline (Scottish Championship) in June/July - No offer tabled, although the gaffer was annoyed that trialists were not allowed to play in the Scottish League Cup prior to the season kicking off (as per Scottish FA rules) otherwise he may have featured and potentially landed a deal.
Late July he was trialling back in England with the Burnley U23's. No further update on his current status though.
Having a UK passport will hopefully open some doors. Met his English dad once. Seems that almost half the kids that come through the Weenix Academy have UK parentage. Certainly handy when trying to broker a transfer fee down the track.
Waine, Callan Elliot, Surman, Hughes, Supyks, Brooke-Smith. No doubt I've missed a few.
Someone who has won a contract in the Scottish footballing pyramid - Petone's Brynn Sinclair (22 y/o, CB) has signed for League One side Arbroath (third tier). Had spent a while trialling in Scotland, and had previously impressed with Greenock Morton in the Championship but wasn't offered a deal - big jump for Brynn
Big one - 19y/o Auckland City backup GK Joe Wallis has signed for West Brom after a successful trial. 22 league games for ACFC over the past two seasons, rotating with Conor Tracey. NZ U19 rep, too
Huge year for Kiwi goalkeepers in the UK - Wallis, Morris, Gray all in youth setups, Crocombe and Tzanev starting, Paulsen too...
Someone who has won a contract in the Scottish footballing pyramid - Petone's Brynn Sinclair (22 y/o, CB) has signed for League One side Arbroath (third tier). Had spent a while trialling in Scotland, and had previously impressed with Greenock Morton in the Championship but wasn't offered a deal - big jump for Brynn
Big one - 19y/o Auckland City backup GK Joe Wallis has signed for West Brom after a successful trial. 22 league games for ACFC over the past two seasons, rotating with Conor Tracey. NZ U19 rep, too
Huge year for Kiwi goalkeepers in the UK - Wallis, Morris, Gray all in youth setups, Crocombe and Tzanev starting, Paulsen too...
Brilliant! So many goalkeepers picking up moves to very decent clubs.
Can we shift that pipeline and produce a few more CB's and strikers now though please?
Any word on Scott Morris at Stoke? Doesn't seem to have featured for them at all this season.
Big one - 19y/o Auckland City backup GK Joe Wallis has signed for West Brom after a successful trial. 22 league games for ACFC over the past two seasons, rotating with Conor Tracey. NZ U19 rep, too
Huge year for Kiwi goalkeepers in the UK - Wallis, Morris, Gray all in youth setups, Crocombe and Tzanev starting, Paulsen too...
Brilliant! So many goalkeepers picking up moves to very decent clubs.
Can we shift that pipeline and produce a few more CB's and strikers now though please?
Any word on Scott Morris at Stoke? Doesn't seem to have featured for them at all this season.
Could not find anything on Morris but for your pipeline dream of strikers I had to dig deep to find Adam Watson came off the bench for reserve U21 Stoke 1-0 against Mansfield Town Res in Central League
Someone who has won a contract in the Scottish footballing pyramid - Petone's Brynn Sinclair (22 y/o, CB) has signed for League One side Arbroath (third tier). Had spent a while trialling in Scotland, and had previously impressed with Greenock Morton in the Championship but wasn't offered a deal - big jump for Brynn
In the PL2 side, two recruits have joined Richard Beale's group for the 2024/25 season.
Defender Michael Parker, formerly of Burnley's youth setup, has signed a one-year deal, while New Zealand U20 goalkeeper Joe Wallis has penned a two-year contract - with both having a further 12-month option in the club’s favour.
