No other club in Europe boasts selection in-between the sticks quite like Manchester United.
David de Gea has been the Premier League’s top shot stopper over the last decade, and has been the club’s best player in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era. Next in line is Sergio Romero, who has been credited the label of being the ‘best number two’ in the world.
Not only do United boast the luxury in having two top class goalkeepers at their disposal, but even third choice Lee Grant could arguably still do a competent job for teams lower down in the divisions.
22-year-old Dean Henderson has utilised the loan scheme to prove his worth, with the club now regarding the Englishman in being De Gea’s successor. On paper, it looks as though United will not be identifying the goalkeeper spot in being an area of the squad that needs addressing for quite some time.
Amidst all the senior selections though, a certain figure has been creating waves throughout the academy. 20-year-old Matej Kovar has made quite the name for himself since joining back in 2018, and his progression has certainly not gone noticed.
Much has been made about United’s U23 campaign this season, and the rising stars that have been coming out of Neil Wood’s setup. Although the attacking figures of Angel Gomes, Tahiti Chong and Largie Ramazani are the ones that make the highlight reels, the side’s defensive line has been just as impressive.
No side in the league has conceded less goals, with Kovar playing his part in such a statistic. He has kept four clean sheets in eleven appearances, conceding just twelve times. His record at this level has been consistently impressive – since making his debut for the reserves, he has averaged a clean sheet every three games.
Embed from Getty ImagesMaintaining a solid defensive record can often be difficult for youth teams, given English club’s tendencies to put heavy emphasis onto their attacking prodigies, but Kovar has instilled a bit of solidity to an ever-impressing defensive line.
On the ball, his distribution also deserves recognition, being a trait that has significantly come on over the past season. With ball playing CB’s like Teden Mengi and Di’Shon Bernard in-front, his duties rely with quickly feeding the ball out to his defence, helping build from the back.
Kovar will also often overlook his defenders to find central figures in the middle, contributing towards the team’s fast-forward thinking, and eagerness to penetrate when in possession.
The Czech’s development was rewarded with a new contract back in October, with the club making a statement in tying down their academy’s most prised assets this season. Following the new blueprint at Carrington, the goalkeeper has every chance in securing a loan move this summer.
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