Pym’s career stalls after big fall-out with his boss
FORMER Exeter City goalkeeper Christy Pym’s career at Peterborough United is in doubt after a dressing room bust-up with the manager.
The academy product was left out of the squad for Saturday’s 3-0 Championship win over Birmingham City at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Social media was awash with rumours of a falling out between player and manager overnight, although club officials initially hinted Pym was ill, Peterborough Today reported. But Ferguson after the game set the record straight and said that the 26-year-old may never play for Posh again.
“As a manager these things sometimes happen. It’s not ideal - particularly the timing of it,” Ferguson said.
“I like to keep things in the dressing room. I knew the question would come and I’ve had to make a decision.
“It’s going to be difficult for that boy to get back as he overstepped the mark on Tuesday night.
“Christy has apologised for it, but I’ve got to have discipline and if there is criticism you have to take it like a man.
“We’ve got a really good squad and I’m not isolating Christy from it at all. But there are certain things as a manager you have to do and abide by, but this was not one of those.
“There are certain beliefs I’ve got that things like that shouldn’t go on But it’s gone now. I’ve made a decision and I’m sticking by it.”
Pym joined Posh on a free transfer in 2019, but was replaced by Dai Cornell at the weekend, and Ferguson added: “It’s been a tough decision whether to bring Dai in or keep Christy in the team, and Dai was the man of the match in the game he played in the Carabao Cup even though we were beaten.
“He made some very good saves and made another couple today while also bringing a real calmness to us. I’m delighted with his performance and the clean sheet.”
But in better news for a former Exeter City player, centre back Jordan Storey is eyeing up 100 appearances in a Preston North End shirt after putting pen to paper on a new contract with the club.
The central defender who first joined the Lilywhites in 2018 has signed a deal to run until 2025.
He’s featured 87 times so far for North End and he’s looking to break into a century of games, while looking even further ahead to the next landmark.
Storey told iFollow PNE: “There’s been stages during my time here where I’ve played loads of games and there’s been stages where I’ve not played as much as I should have, but to reach 100 games for Preston would be a great achievement for me.
“I want to play every game of the season and I think my next aim after 100 will be 200 games for the club so I just want to keep that momentum going.”
When he arrived at Deepdale as a 20-year-old three years ago, he told iFollow he was hoping to ‘grow into a man’, and he feels as though he has done that, with the likes of Ben Davies, Paul Huntington and Patrick Bauer helping along the way.
Speaking after signing the deal, the 24-year-old said: “To have players like Davo, Hunts and Pat, I think you learn a lot, not just from playing with them but from watching them and being with them in training too so it’s helped me a great deal I think.
“I’m delighted [to sign a new contract]. I’ve been here for a few years now, I love the club, I love the area so it’s nice to get it done and dusted.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here and I want to keep progressing at the club so it was my main goal to stay here.
“I’ve learned a lot here. [I’ve had] a lot of experiences here and I just want to keep progressing here and hopefully achieve something special with the club.”
So far this season, the former Exeter City defender has featured in every single minute of Championship action.
Meanwhile, City’s young winger Nelson Iseguan has joined Tiverton Town on a month-long loan deal.
The 18-year-old, who has featured in all three of City’s Premier League U23 Cup fixtures so far in this campaign, made the move up the M5 in gain more experience in professional football
Iseguan played once for City last season in the EFL Trophy, starting in the 4-0 win over West Brom’s U21s in the group stage, and having signed his first professional contract, saw his pre-season interrupted by Covid19 and then injury, not featuring at all before the start of the season.
He headed to the Ian Moorcroft Stadium, and made his debut off the bench in FA Cup tie with Sholing on Saturday, a game in which the Yellows took an early lead but suffered a 3-1 reverse, with the winger lively off the bench, and nearly scored a late consolation goal.
Iseguan joins Alfie Pond on loan at Tiverton, with James Dodd at Weston-super-Mare, Ellis Johnson and Cheick Diabate at Truro City, while Jack Arthur is at Bideford and Jack Veale at Taunton Town.