League Two side AFC Wimbledon are rumoured to be interested in a loan move for Crystal Palace’s young goalkeeper Owen Goodman.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper had spent last season on loan at fellow League Two side Colchester United and another loan move could be on the cards however, The Eagles are waiting for League One interest reports Alan Nixon (paywall).
Who Is Owen Goodman?
Owen has represented England and Canada at U20 International level, making two appearances for England and one for Canada.
The goalkeeper is a product of the Crystal Palace academy experiencing his first taste of senior football last season with Colchester United where he played a total of 40 games in all competitions.
What is the Current Goalkeeping Situation at AFC Wimbledon?
Currently, AFC Wimbledon has no senior goalkeeper contracted for next season, after the return of Alex Bass to Sunderland, and the release of Nikola Tzanev.
Tzanev only made two appearances in Sky Bet League Two last season and was used more as a cup goalkeeper, having appeared in all six of their EFL Trophy matches last season.
Alex played the other 44 matches in League Two, keeping 16 clean sheets in the process and making a total of 109 saves which ranked him in the 86% percentile.
How Did Owen Perform Last Season?
It was a fourth bottom-half finish in a row for Colchester last season, as they finished in 22nd place avoiding relegation by three points.
The goalkeeper faced a total of 58.5 xGOT (Expected Goal on Target), conceding a total of 60 goals with a save percentage of 65%. (stats from fotmob)
He also made a total of 113 saves (four more than Alex Bass) on an average of just under 3 saves per 90 minutes. He also made two penalty saves from the six penalties he faced last season.
Would another League Two move Be Beneficial To His Development?
The 20-year-old goalkeeper could be the Number One at AFC Wimbledon considering their goalkeeping situation currently, so in terms of playing time this move could well be beneficial to him.
However, after a season in League Two, the next logical step in his growth would be to make a step up to League One to test himself in a quicker and more punishing environment which would give Crystal Palace a better idea of where Owen currently is in his development.
A goalkeeper is one of the positions, that is rarely tinkered with throughout the season, so Owen may want to look at all his available options and choose the one where he believes he will get the most game time, otherwise, this could hinder his development.
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