Trott departs on season-long loan

  • by Staff Writer
  • Monday, 24th June 2019

Academy goalkeeper Nathan Trott will spend the 2019/20 campaign in League One having agreed a season-long loan deal with AFC Wimbledon.

The Dons, currently managed by former West Ham coach Wally Downes managed to avoid relegation last season by virtue of goal difference and, consequently, have moved quickly to shore up an under-par defence.

West Ham, who have high hopes for Trott had always intended to send the youngster out on loan for the duration of the 2019/20 campaign. The club are now in a position to do so following the recent capture of 'keepers David Martin from Millwall and Roberto Jimenez Gago from Espanyol.

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"The situation in the first team affects the young goalkeepers and that is why it was important that we have three experienced goalkeepers ready and able to perform in the Premier League in the squad," goalkeeping coach Xavi Valero told whufc.com.

"With Lukasz Fabianski being joined by Roberto and David, this will enable us to give Nathan the opportunity to go out on loan and get some valuable experience of playing first-team football, which we are happy about."

Trott's imminent departure - he'll join up with his new Wimbledon team mates at the beginning of July - will also allow fellow Academy stopper Joseph Anang, another highly-rated youngster, to feature on a regular basis for the Under 23s.

"With Nathan going out on loan, this will give Joseph Anang to play regularly for the Under-23s," added Valero. "We also have some promising goalkeepers in the younger age-groups such as Daniel Jinadu and Krisztian Hegyi, who is only 16 and we consider to be one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe at the moment.

"My idea is that we need three first-team goalkeepers ready to perform, which in turn enables the young goalkeepers to concentrate on their development without the pressure of training, travelling and playing in lots and lots of matches."

Meanwhile Wally Downes, who was instrumental in bringing Trott to the League One club revealed that there were a string of clubs vying for Trott's signature before he opted to move to Wimbledon.

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"Nathan is a very talented boy, so we are delighted to have him here on loan," he told afcwimbeldon.co.uk. "I got close to the West Ham loans manager and they were keen for Nathan to come to us.

"Although there were a lot of clubs in for him, we managed to pip them to it. You get to see all the games now on the various media platforms and Nathan has been on my radar for quite a while.

"I went along to watch him live in a couple of reserve games at the end of last season. He is a very talented, agile, goalkeeper. Though he is young, that shouldn’t inhibit him."

Trott, who was raised in Bermuda - from where he was recommended by former Hammer and fellow countryman Clyde Best - is yet to make a single appearance for West Ham's senior side but is primed to succeed both Martin and Roberto upon returning from Wimbledon - should his stay prove successful.

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