Nick Pope: Newcastle's English Goalkeeper

After sealing a return to the UEFA Champions League following a two-decade absence, Newcastle have been busy in the transfer market, completing a deal for Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali for €70 million. Valentino Livramento has been linked with a move from relegated Southampton, whilst several wide forwards like Harvey Barnes and Moussa Diaby have been reported as transfer targets as well. It seems unlikely that they will reinforce in goal, though: they have already found one of the league's most reliable goalkeepers in English veteran Nick Pope.

Born in Soham, Cambridgeshire, Pope gradually made his way up the youth ranks at Ipswich Town, the club he supported as an adolescent, but his time was cut short after being released by the club at 16 years of age. From there, he joined West Suffolk College, whose under-19 side was linked with non-League side Bury Town. Despite his young age, Pope impressed in the few matches that he started, leading manager Richard Wilkins to call him “the most naturally-talented player to progress through the ranks at the West Suffolk Sports Academy and Bury Town.”

His performances for Bury attracted the attention of Charlton Athletic, who offered him a trial and subsequently a two-year contract. He would spend the next two years bouncing around from brief loan spells at Harrow Borough, Wellington United, Cambridge United, Aldershot Town and York City, gaining experience across the lower levels of English football. On January 6, 2015, Pope joined Bury on loan, and he quickly won a starting spot under manager David Filtcroft as The Shakers won promotion to League One.

Pope finally broke into Charlton’s starting line-up in the 2015/16 season, with then manager Guy Luzon giving him the nod in between the sticks, but he was displaced from the eleven after veteran Stephen Henderson’s return from his shoulder injury. Pope regained his place in the team at the start of March, and although it wasn’t enough to keep Charlton in the Championship, it was enough to convince newly promoted Burnley to pay a fee within the region of £1 million for his services.