Peterborough United finally sign a goalkeeper!
After Posh gave up on Mission Impossible in trying to re-sign Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Luke McGee, the hunt has been on to find someone to fill McGee`s boots.
The difficult task has been completed though and in time for the warm weather training in Spain which the Posh squad head out to on Wednesday.
The man brought in is Jonathan Bond from Championship side Reading! Not exactly a Premiership side which was constantly mentioned by Posh Chairman Darragh MacAnthony!
Is Bond the player who has “recently been made available” or is it another goalkeeper?
Whatever the case may be, we`re getting the usual quotes from the management for a player who`s signed an initial six-month loan deal which can be extended in January if things work out well.
“Jonathan was top of our list,” said goalkeeping coach Mark Tyler!
Bond signed for the Royals, when Steve Clarke was the manager, in 2015 from Watford on a three-year deal. He made 14 first team appearances for the Royals before losing the number one jersey to Ali Al-Habsi. He has slipped down to third or fourth choice goalkeeper at Reading and is behind Al-Habsi, Anssi Jaakola and possibly George Legg.
He has played for a variety of clubs during his career making the best part of 70 first team appearances. He has played in the Championship for both Watford and Reading, League Two with Dagenham and Redbridge and in League One for Bury and Gillingham.
Bond was on loan at Gillingham last season making eight appearances. He conceded two goals on his debut at Shrewsbury Town towards the end of August last season but his season was plagued by injury!
He was substituted after just 16 minutes at White Hart Lane in the third round of the EFL Cup with the match goalless. The Gills went on to lose five-nil! On his return from injury almost four weeks later, he managed just two more matches before suffering another injury. This time he lasted 30 minutes before he had to leave the field.
It isn`t the first time Bond has suffered injury problems. Back in 2013, Bond deputised in the final league game of the season for Watford against Leeds United after Almunia was injured in the warm-up. Bond then suffered a serious injury of his own after a horrible collision with Ikechi Anya and Dominic Poleon which forced him off on a stretcher!
Hopefully he`s fully recovered from his injury as we can`t afford to have an injury prone number one!
Bond was highly regarded as a teenager as he played for both Wales and England. He represented the Welsh under 17 and 19 teams, scoring a goal for the under 17`s! He has also made 7 appearances in total for the England under 20 and 21 sides.
Posh goalkeeping coach Mark Tyler was actually at Watford at the same time as Bond and remembers him well. “I was at Watford when he was there and you could tell at 17-18-years-old he was going to be an excellent goalkeeper and it is great that Reading have allowed him to join us,” said Tyler to the official Posh website.
“Jonathan is comfortable with the ball at his feet, the gaffer wants to play that way and we will work hard in training to work on that part of his game and try and improve him as a goalkeeper in every part of his game. I am excited to work with him.”
Bond was equally keen to get things done and dusted so he could join up with the Posh first team ahead of pre-season training: “I spoke to the manager Grant McCann and he was very positive about the future and I am pleased to be here. I am looking forward to getting started. I know Mark Tyler, we were actually together for a short period of time at Watford and he has a lot of football league experience under his belt.
“I like to play out from the back, goalkeeping is always evolving, but I have always had that within my game. Jaap Stam at Reading likes to play that way and I know the gaffer here is keen to play that way too. It was important for me to get this move done at the start of pre-season, we go away to Spain on Wednesday and it will be great to meet the lads and get going.”
Posh boss Grant McCann was delighted to have got a new number one: “Jonathan has good experience, he has played in the Championship with Watford and was part of the side that got promoted with them.
“He is being coached well by David Beasant at Reading and we are pleased that they have allowed him to come here for six months. If all works well then hopefully we can extend it in January.
“It was important for us to get a goalkeeper in at this stage of pre-season. He can get to know the lads out in Spain and I am sure he will fit in quickly. It is a good bit of business and we are pleased that everything has been concluded.”
It is no doubt that Bond has a presence about him and a lot of potential quality but he now needs to start playing first team games on a regular basis. Hopefully his time at Posh will be a successful one and that he can show that his injuries in the last few seasons is a thing of the past.
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