Goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker has hailed the club’s stoppers following an excellent start to pre-season.
Vito Mannone, Jordan Pickford and Max Stryjek have all impressed during the club’s Austrian training camp, with Mannone and Pickford both working tirelessly in order to stake a claim for a starting berth.
Like their outfield team-mates, the trio returned to training in good shape having undertaken a detailed off-season plan, and speaking to safc.com Tucker explained the importance of continuing that hard work before opening day.
“The first few days back are always going to be tough but they’ve come back in good shape,” said Tucker. “Their fitness levels are quite high and they’ve got back into the swing of things so we’ve been able to progress quickly.
“Pre-season for ‘keepers can be done in many different ways but personally I like to get the balls out as quickly as possible, but as I said it’s important to build that base of endurance before moving onto the technical side.”
He continued: “I try and get the boys incorporated with the general warm-ups – with the outfield players – because it is good for them and good from a social point of view, and it’s important the players and ‘keepers bond and form a unit.
“This time last year we had another senior goalkeeper – Costel Pantilimon – and Jordan was in a similar position to the one Max is in now, but we felt it was important for him to go out on loan play games and he’s done that, matured over the past 12 months and is ready to kick on.
“He has to push, as does Vito, to become number one for the start of the season and even though Vito ended the season well there are no guarantees he will start, so it’s up to Jordan to prove himself to the boss and up to Vito to stay where he is.
“That competition is important for both of them and they push each other through a rivalry, but they also have a great relationship and a real friendliness.”
