AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper Owen Goodman in action during the play-off semi-final (Image: PA)
AFC Wimbledon goalkeeper Owen Goodman in action during the play-off semi-final (Image: PA)
CRYSTAL Palace’s Owen Goodman has become the latest goalkeeper linked with a summer move to Wanderers.
The 21-year-old has turned heads with his form for AFC Wimbledon in League Two this season and will feature for the Dons in their play-off final against Walsall at Wembley on Monday.
But The Bolton News has learned that Wanderers are one of the clubs who have voiced an interest in loaning him next season as they look to fill a gap left by the departure of Nathan Baxter.
Steven Schumacher has also earmarked Chelsea’s Teddy Sharman-Lowe, who has had a successful loan with Doncaster Rovers, and has also been credited with an interest in QPR’s Murphy Cooper, who has been out with Stevenage in League One this season.
Goodman has had two loan spells away from Selhurst Park, playing for Colchester United last season and making 40 appearances in all competitions. This season he has played 53 times for Wimbledon, keeping 24 clean sheets, and was also voted into the SkyBet League Two select team in April.
Read more: Wanderers draw up goalkeeper wish-list for summer.
He has not yet made a first team appearance at Palace but remains highly rated by the club, who are keen to test him at a higher level next term.
Goodman qualifies to play for Canada, Nigeria and England and most recently represented the Three Lions’ Under-20s – but it is thought that the youngster could seek Canadian citizenship to help his chances of a call-up to the country where he lived between the ages of five and 13.
Wimbledon boss Jonnie Jackson recently told The South London Press: “He has definitely improved as the season has gone on and grown in confidence and personality. He is quite a quiet lad but he has come out of his shell the more he has been with us.
“Working with Bayzo (Ashley Bayes) as well – he has started to bring out even more positive aspects of his game. He has grown into it and done brilliantly with the clean sheets he has had but he is also playing behind the meanest defence, which he is obviously part of as well.”