“It will help me” – Young Chelsea goalkeeper on the benefits of lower league loans | OneFootball

Adam Newson has a really nice interview with young goalkeeper Eddie Beach online today, and there are some great snippets in there about his loan to Chelmsford Town – his first senior action.

The comparisons to playing in goal for the Chelsea youth team are pretty stark, as Beach explains:

“At under-21s level, all the players are nice and tidy – and Chelsea are obviously very dominant – so as a goalkeeper, there aren’t a huge amount of actions for you,” the youngster explained.

“In the National League South, there will be hundreds of crosses in a game to deal with. Or at least if feels like that.

“I’ve got more chances to make saves because there are more shots on goal. So it will help me become the goalkeeper I want to be and make sure every single part of my game is strong. It is a stepping stone to the next level, up through the leagues, and hopefully the Premier League.”

It’s an obvious problem when it comes for top academies developing goalkeepers, and one can see why Chelsea really like to get their goalkeepers out to the lower leagues on loan. Players like Nathan Baxter and Jamie Cumming have been working their way up from the bottom, and are now really well regarded.

While most academy outfielders will make their first loan to the Championship or League One, most of the keepers (even the highest rated) start off in non-league.

As you can see from what Beach explains, the experience is invaluable.