Stopper search ongoing – but what happened to last summer trial pair?
IT’s a familiar summer goalkeeping search for Danny Cowley, yet those who unsuccessfully auditioned 12 months ago have subsequently endured mixed fortunes.
Although neither Corey Addai or Dan Gyollai are currently affiliated with a Football League club.
The pair were last year handed Pompey trials during a pre-season which saw Gavin Bazunu’s arrival and uncertainty develop over Alex Bass’ long-term presence.
Roll on 12 months and West Brom’s Josh Griffiths is the prime loan target, although the emergence of the promising Toby Steward may reduce the need for triallists.
As for Bass, back following a loan spell at Bradford, he is now entering the final 12 months of his deal, with his Pompey future still no clearer.
Regardless, Cowley’s goalkeeping hunt brought Addai and Gyollai to his attention last summer – one they wanted, one they didn’t, with neither signing.
The towering Addai, a former Arsenal youth player, sufficiently impressed the Blues’ head coach and goalkeeping coach Michael Poke to earn a contract offer – earmarked as
Pompey’s third keeper.
That was until the move collapsed over concerns shown up during a medical, prompting Addai’s departure and, frustratingly, taking Cowley back to square one.
Yet the former Barnsley stopper would subsequently clinch a one-year deal at Esbjerg fB in August 2021.
He featured four times in the Danish First Division, while was unused from the bench on another 15 occasions, as Esbjerg suffered relegation.
After the culmination of the season, he was among eight players released in May and is now seeking his next footballing challenge.
As for Hungarian youth international Gyollai, arriving after Addai’s collapsed move, he was loaned to National League Maidenhead from Peterborough in December.
He went on to feature 16 times as they successfully battled against relegation to finish 17th in the National League. To cap an impressive entrance, the 25-year-old Gyollai was crowned the supporters’ Player of the Season and remains on their books.
It’s still to be seen where Cowley’s keeper hunt goes this summer.