James Shea becomes Goalkeeper number 4 for Arsenal
While the Gunners have been noted for their obvious need for ‘buying’ a pair of safe hands in front of goal on one end, Arsene Wenger continues to bring in more reinforcements from the youth system. The North Londoners have handed in a new contract to their 19 year old 4th choice goalkeeper James Shea.
Despite starting the season as back-up to the 20-year-old and 3rd choice keeper Wojciech Szczesny, Shea has found himself promoted to the bench on numerous occasions this term. At the start of the season, many wondered how Arsene Wenger could take the gamble of putting in a 20-year-old shot-stopper as a substitute and the Frenchman has truly outdone himself with the ‘belief in youth policy’ philosophy by putting in a teenage goalkeeper in the dugout.
Unsurprisingly, the length of the youngster’s contract has not been revealed to the general public. However, the starlet got encouraging reviews from the club which, in turn, looks ahead to witnessing the player’s continued growth.
According to the club’s official website, “Arsenal Football Club is pleased to announce that Islington-born goalkeeper James Shea has signed a new contract with the club. Everyone at Arsenal is looking forward to James' continued contribution and development with the club.”
Relatively unknown to the footballing mainstream, the youngster has been a regular feature for Arsenal’s reserve setup. Shea has won the Youth Cup with the academy in the ’08-’09 season and would be hoping to emulate that to the bigger stage once he gets the chance for the Gunners’ first team.
However, a highlight of James Shea’s career would have to be the opportunity to train alongside the England squad not so long ago. The Three Lions looked to train for a Euro 2012 qualifying match against Bulgaria at the Emirates, just recently.
Arsenal’s goalkeeping woes have been plain since Arsene Wenger decided that owing to Manuel Almunia’s patchy performances, the number 1 jersey was up for grabs. However, while the Frenchman has often been criticized for being a touch reluctant spending his way to find a solution to the predicament, perhaps bringing in young blood and honing it into a world class talent might not entirely be a bad option either – Szczesny has done a fine job so far.
All we could do is look ahead and hope that it pays off.
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