Goalkeeper coach Tom Weal 'Vitezslav was our best option by a distance'

Last updated : 28 January 2022 By Magpie Mick

Weal said “As soon as we knew Anthony Patterson wouldn’t be returning we put a shortlist together and, once we’d done our research, Vitezslav was our best option by a distance.

“He’s really confident with the ball at his feet and is happy to play high up the pitch, defending spaces in behind. He had a lot of exposure to defending balls into the box in Ireland and has a good physical presence. He’s a confident lad, as well.

“We’ve had excellent dialogue with him and he spoke about his desire to play at the highest level – he’s got that thirst from training with top goalkeepers like Alisson and Adrian over the last 18 months and is coming here champing at the bit and ready to fight for his place.

“He had watched our last four or five games and identified us as a club he wanted to play for, despite having offers from a higher level. Our staff, the way we play and our facilities have once again allowed us to compete with clubs from a higher level for talented loan players, which bodes well for the future.

“Everyone in the goalkeeping department will benefit from this. We have a really strong dynamic with Sam’s experience, Tiernan’s potential and Vitezlav coming in to provide competition. It’s really exciting and hopefully we’ll see positive outcomes as the season goes on.”