Little-known Sheffield Wednesday keeper suffers heartache - but could make senior step-up
An out-on-loan Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper suffered play-off heartbreak on Thursday evening - but could be set for an interesting few months.
Young stopper Killian Barrett was signed to Wednesday late last summer after impressing during their pre-season training camp at St George’s Park and has since made good progress in loans at Solihull Moors and Rochdale. The 21-year-old kept six clean sheets across his 19 National League appearances with both clubs.
The most recent of those appearances came last night as two of non-league’s most esteemed clubs met in the fifth tier play-off quarter-finals. Southend United arrived to Spotland - now known as the Crown Oil Arena for sponsorship reasons - on Thursday evening and fought back from a 3-1 deficit to win out 4-3 after extra time. Barrett played the entirety of the clash and saw Rochdale’s hopes of an immediate return to the Football League dashed.
Alongside appearances in the under-21s, the Republic of Ireland-born keeper made the bench in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup outing at Brentford earlier this season and has been a semi-regular ‘third keeper’ involved in first team warm-ups in between his loan stints.
Wednesday’s retained list, released this week, included confirmation of the release of experienced third choice goalkeeper Ben Hamer. With loanee James Beadle set to return to parent club Brighton & Hove Albion, it leaves Pierce Charles as the only front line gloveman and the Owls with work to do this summer to bolster their options.
Given Barrett’s age and growing reputation, it stands to reason he could be considered as a third-choice option heading into the new season - just as other rookie stoppers have in seasons gone by - assuming a keeper will be signed to challenge Charles for the number one spot.