Pressman was Sheffield Wednesday’s number one for more than a decade.
Kevin Pressman has backed Jos Luhukay’s decision to promote Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith ahead of Keiren Westwood, despite opposition from some Sheffield Wednesday supporters.
Signed in 2014, Westwood remained the Owls’ undisputed first choice goalkeeper until December last year, when injury ruled him out for the remainder of that campaign.
And when Luhukay arrived as manager a few weeks later, Wildsmith was the man with the gloves.
Dawson was later given a chance to prove himself during Wednesday’s FA Cup run, before taking over from the 22-year-old for the Owls’ final three Championship fixtures, with their safety at that point confirmed.
And Dawson did enough in those seven games to keep his place even with Westwood fit this season, leaving the Republic of Ireland international twiddling his thumbs behind the 23-year-old and Wildsmith.
Products of Sheffield Wednesday’s academy system just like Pressman – whose time as a professional at Hillsborough spanned 19 years – Dawson and Wildsmith are not, however, the only Owls youngsters to have played prominent roles during the Luhukay era.
And Pressman told Sheffield Live TV on Thursday that replacing the older guard as soon as possible is the correct thing to do.
“You’ve got a great opportunity to build a foundation and to not worry about two years of success – you want five to 10 years of success,” he said.
“I think he (Luhukay) has made the right decision, purely for the fact that when he first came to the club Keiren wasn’t fit and he spent the second half of the season injured. So he’s not been seen on a day-to-day basis.
“And when you get foreign managers that prob aren’t as attuned to the football club and the history of the club and who is in there, and he’s come in with an open mind and a fresh look, reputations mean nothing. I’ve got a great CV, I can put the CV in front (of people), it means nothing. That’s what I’ve done in my past, that’s my career. It’s about what you do tomorrow and what you do the next day.
“If (a player is) unavailable for selection you can’t pick him. So he’s had to look elsewhere. He’s looked at the two the younger ones, he’s allowed them to flourish and to be involved in the first team and I think they’re reaping the rewards from it.
“Now Keiren is fit he finds that he’s got to start again. Not because of his reputation but because the manager hasn’t seen him.
“I had two years of probably playing four games when Chris Woods came in, when Trevor Francis was manager, and it is hard to take. But you believe in your own ability. If it’s not going to be at Sheffield Wednesday it’ll be somewhere else. But the biggest thing that I learnt over my career and what I say to any young goalkeeper is your opportunity will come when you least expect it. Are you ready? And I think that’s a massive thing. It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you’ve played 400 or 500 games, if you don’t prepare correctly and you do get that opportunity and you let yourself down the only person you can blame is yourself.”
Asked whether the decision to make Dawson first choice ahead of Wildsmith is also the correct one, Pressman added: “From what I’ve seen so far at the back end of last season and this season, yes.
“I like the look of Cameron, personally, with my eyes as a goalkeeping coach and what I see is obviously not what everybody else sees. The supporters don’t see what I see, I see mistakes the supporters don’t see. They see the obvious ones. And for me, Cameron has got the jersey and rightly so.
“I would probably say at the moment, yes (Dawson does possess the greater commanding presence). I’m impressed with his mobility around the box. That’s the biggest thing for me. It’s alright having big, tall keepers that can’t move. He supports the back four well, it allows them to play a high line because they know he’s going to sweep. They’ve got confidence with him. His mobility and his movement around the box is good and I like that.”
Is Pressman right about Sheffield Wednesday’s goalkeeping situation?
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