Time Is Still On Johnstone's Side

The life of any young goalkeeper rising through the ranks at a top club can be a hard one. There is an obvious need for patience, married with the desperation for a chance to impress in order to prove you are worthy of the no.1 jersey.

In the opening round of Premier League fixtures, the average age for the man between the posts was over 31. More than half were in their thirties and the youngest starter in nets was 24-year-old Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea.

Sam Johnstone, at 23, has been close to making his first-team bow for the Reds for some time. He was on the bench for the opening six games of last term and, despite keeping goal in pre-season fixtures, still yearns for his competitive debut for the club he loves.

"It would mean everything," he tells ManUtd.com at the Aon Training Complex, with a determined look in his eyes. "I've been with the club since I was 10 years old and have grown up here. That's what you're waiting for and you've got to be ready for it so, obviously, it would mean everything for both me and my family to make that competitive debut.

"There's been so much hard work, with the support of my family taking me everywhere, before finally moving away from home, doing my schooling here and training. I went to The Cliff and gradually worked my way up from there. The next thing, I've been here 12-13 years. It flies by. There has been a lot of dedication, I've missed out on a lot of things but I wouldn't ever change the position I am in."

That position, as third-choice goalkeeper for one of the biggest clubs in the world, might be seen as some achievement for a young man from Preston or, at the very least, certainly the start of bigger things. When the competition for the gloves is provided by arguably the best on the planet and Argentina's first choice, there is clearly no easy route into Jose Mourinho's side.

This is what you would expect at a club like United but it is not like Johnstone is shying away from the challenge. Far from it, in fact.

"I don't think there's any difference between me and, say, Marcus [Rashford] and Jesse [Lingard]," he contends. "They want to play for Manchester United. I want to play for Manchester United. I'm going to have to bide my time a little bit, being in a position where I've got one of the best goalkeepers in the world ahead of me but I will use that to my advantage and learn from it.

"Of course, it is even more difficult as a keeper and people don't seem to properly understand that. You've got one position in the team and that is taken up by a world-class player. I've been learning from him since he first came and training with him every day, and the coaches and Sergio [Romero], is only helping me.

"To be honest, I've always said that being on loan and working with different goalkeeping coaches also gives you different ideas to take on board. Some work and some don't but I've always learned something from each coach and put it into my own game. It's a good position to be working with different coaches as you can learn as much as possible from them, particularly with ex-players."

Remarkably, there has been some criticism of Johnstone for his current role at United. He has been travelling with the first-team squad and working with De Gea and Romero in the build-up to matches, reflecting his seniority. It would appear a positive move to keep him involved but, confusingly, this has been viewed negatively in some quarters.

"It doesn't bother me and you're always going to get it," said Johnstone. "Social media is massive and you do see everything. You can't not see it when everything is online. But people don't know what is going on behind the scenes at the club and the progress you are making.

"Of course, it's a long road and I have to be patient. I'm still only 23 and learning every day. I do see comments on social media, I even saw it said: 'You're a goalkeeper coach' and stuff like that. It's the opposite. I'm learning from the coaches, from David and Sergio. So people say things but don't really know the inside story. I think it's wrong but people are entitled to their opinion.

"It's good to be around the squad, I'm in the first-team dressing room and travelling as the manager wants to take three goalkeepers to each game," he added. "I feel involved and, even in the warm-ups before the game, the manager can see you. It was great to play against Wigan and Borussia Dortmund in pre-season because it gives you a little taste for it and I want more and want to impress the manager as well."

One thing you can never accuse Johnstone of, having interviewed him several times, is lacking ambition. He proved himself out on loan and enjoyed real success with hometown club Preston North End, securing promotion via the play-offs in 2015. He knows he remains one of the best young keepers in England and his time to show that will come.

"I'm not settling to just sit here," he stressed. "I'm too young to do that. I have been around for a while and people probably think I'm older than 23 as I've had my loan spells, played first-team football, kept a clean sheet at Wembley for Preston and achieved promotion.

"I've been out and done it and, on a smaller scale, replicated what it's like at United when I was at Preston. They wanted to get promoted and United want to win the league. There was pressure being towards the top of the table and bidding to stay there before a one-off game at Wembley to win promotion. They were great experiences to bring back here and help me mature to become a better goalkeeper.

"I have experienced a lot in the last few years," he continued. "Now it's about using those experiences to push myself and push Sergio and David and hopefully show the manager what I can do. I want to play football and, at this moment of my career, it's going to be a bit different for me because I am on the learning side of things. But I'm learning from the best in the world at the biggest club. My dream is to play for Manchester United and it's all about timing. It's going to be very difficult but it's my dream. I've worked towards that every day since I was 10 years old."

Mourinho has already pointed out that United's busy schedule, including the League Cup and Europa League, will present opportunities for more of his players. Johnstone certainly feels ready if the call does come from the Reds boss at any stage.

"My job is to show that I can do it," he explained. "Hopefully, he trusts me to do it because I'm learning every day from him as well. He is a very experienced manager, a good guy and a great coach. There are a lot of games coming up and I've always got to be ready. Anything can happen in football."

Johnstone can become the 10th member of the 2011 FA Youth Cup-winning side to make the breakthrough into the first team. If he does, it will be well worth the wait and a moment to savour for the talented keeper and all those who value the importance of homegrown talent.

Yeah to be honst always said that been on loans work with diff gk coach give you diff ideas take int on board some work some don’t but always learned something from each goalkeeper coach put into your own game training it s agood position to be in working with different coaches can pick their brains and learn as much as possible form them being ex players theyre the best ones to speak to the experienced ones.
Yeah theyre from similar area thay way and I think I was there once or twice then sent to the cliff gradually work to way up next thing been here 12-13 years. Flies by.
Of course long road have ot be patient stil only 23 – learning every day I do see comments on social media from certain people commenting youre goalkeeper coach stuff like that; im one the one learning from the coaches from david Sergio and people say things don’t really know the iside of things I think its wrong but people tentiled to their opinion hefopuly one day I can prove them wrong.