New loan signing Nathan Trott has spoken about why AFC Wimbledon was his number one choice for the next step in his football career.
Though Nathan is highly-rated by West Ham and had progressed his goalkeeping skills while training with England’s youth teams, he feels that playing league football is required at this stage of his career. Having heard positive reports about our goalkeeping coach Bayzo and the rapport that his former team-mate Aaron Ramsdale established with our supporters, Nathan was keen to come here.
“One thing I feel I need for the next step in my career is experience, so that I can get to the next level. The Under-23s was good for when I was younger, but I feel that I need a bigger stage. I feel that Wimbledon is the best option for me to express myself and show everyone what I’m capable of.
“One of my former team-mates with England was 'Rammers’ and I heard about the effect he had on everyone here - I want to do the same thing. I feel that the fans deserve another keeper like that. The main thing is to try and replicate what he did here. I want to help everyone out and please the fans. I’ve heard of Bayzo and how he worked with different keepers. I know what he is capable of and that he can improve me with different aspects of my game.
“I want to be at a place where I have a chance of being number one. There is a different pressure playing in the first-team than there is in the Under-23s. There are bigger crowds, the pressure of a manager, and there are loads of other things that follow with playing first-team football. That’s something West Ham wanted me to get through before I make the next step.”
Though regarded as one of England’s brightest young keepers, Nathan didn’t take up goalkeeping seriously until well into his teenage years.
“When I was younger I used to play left-back, winger, and different positions,” added Nathan. “I used to go in goal every now and then, but I didn’t take it as serious. A lot of people used to tell me how good I was in goal, but it was only when I went in goal for a tournament that I felt I did really well and I stuck with it from there.
“I had a cousin playing over here and My Dad wanted me to come here and do trials with different teams. I went to Crystal Palace and Reading. Some things worked out, some things didn’t, but then I had a two-week trial with West Ham. They told me that they wanted to take a risk with me, to see how far I could go, and that turned out well.”
Click on the link below for an extensive interview with Nathan.