United finally get hands on new keeper Woolston
UNITED have confirmed the signing of youth goalkeeper Paul Woolston.
The former Newcastle keeper’s arrival was confirmed on the club website after they uploaded an official player page with his biography.
Woolston was pictured training with the United first-team squad last week prior to the club officially announcing the goalkeeper’s arrival.
M.E.N. Sport reported back in September that United had taken the 20-year-old on trial as the club looked to provide competition for current youth team players Matej Kovar and Alex Fojticek.
The Under-23 keeper is available for Ricky Sbragia’s side when they host Middlesbrough in the Premier League 2 Division Two next week.
North Shields-born Woolston has played the majority of his football in his native North East ever since starting out at Newcastle back in 2014.
Since then the youngster has progressed through the ranks at St James’ Park, interspersed with sporadic loan-spells at local non-league sides.
Woolston has spent short-term spells at Gateshead, Darlington, Blyth Spartans and South Shields, while also featuring for Newcastle’s Reserve side.
The keeper kept three clean sheets in the Premier League 2 last season as well as making one appearance in the EFL Trophy.
He was released by Newcastle at the end of the 2017/18 season and Woolston was invited on trial by United and impressed the club.
M.E.N. Sport understand United have signed Woolston in order to provide cover for Under-23 players Matej Kovar and fellow 18-year-old custodian Alex Fojticek.
It is unlikely the youngster will feature in any match day squads, however if there are any injury worries throughout the season he could be drafted into a larger match day squad - as we have seen with Kovar previously.
Woolston actually made his Reserves debut for Newcastle against United back in 2014.
The schoolboy marked his first start at the level with an impressive clean sheet in which he thwarted good efforts from both Paddy McNair and Andreas Pereira.
The English keeper’s distribution and ability impressed United coaches during his trial at the club, and was enough to convince the club to take him on permanently.
Woolston’s arrival is a timely boost for the club after they let a trio of academy keepers to leave on seasonlong loans.
Dean Henderson, Joel Pereira and Kieran O’Hara have all left the club temporarily in search of valuable firstteam football, while United sold Sam Johnstone in the summer and released his brother Max, Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui and Theo Richardson.