Josh Keeley is impressing Ange Postecoglou on loan at Leyton Orient

Postecoglou had plenty of praise for Josh Keeley and his progression while on loan at Leyton Orient after helping his side reach the FA Cup third round.

Josh Keeley is finding his feet in League One

Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient are two clubs with a long-standing relationship. Former striker, Harry Kane, sponsored Orient’s kits for several consecutive seasons. Leyton Orient’s ground, Brisbane Road, is where Tottenham Hotspur Women play their home matches.

This season, Orient has additionally become home for two promising Spurs youth players in Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley.

Keeley is a talented young goalkeeper who joined Tottenham’s Academy in 2022 from St. Patricks Atheltic. He was granted a loan to Leyton Orient back in August and has steadily established himself in their first team.

If his four clean sheets had not earned enough endearment from the Orient faithful, then he certainly will have after scoring a goal deep into additional time in their FA Cup 2nd round game against Oldham.

Keeley went up for a set piece, meeting the cross and heading into the bottom corner. The goal took the game into extra-time which Leyton Orient went on to win 2-1.

Ange Postecoglou lauds loan system and Josh Keeley’s progress

Spurs boss, Ange Postecoglou was asked about Keeley’s cup heroics in his pre-Bournemouth press conference. He said (FootballLondon): “Josh, he worked with us last year and with Burchy and it’s important with the young guys and with the goalkeepers, to get them eventually some game time.

“I think the loans worked out really well. He’s gone there, he’s worked his way into the team and he’s doing really well. He’s goalkeeping well. I don’t know how excited I get about goalkeepers scoring headers, mate. It’s great and great for him, I’m sure, but it’s not kind of the attributes I’m looking for in a goalkeeper.

“But the point is, he is doing well. You go into a loan club, especially as a goalkeeper, young goalkeeper, and you have to earn the trust of the manager to end up being the number one. The fact that he has and he’s doing well it’s good. It’s what we want to see from our loan guys.”

Game time is essential for young goalkeepers and their development

The devastating injury to Guglielmo Vicario has highlighted the necessity for well-equipped goalkeeper backups in a squad. Fraser Forster is an experienced deputy who will confidently shoulder the first team responsibilities.

However, when it comes to Brandon Austin, there are external doubts around his suitability due to a significant lack of competitive career minutes.

Despite Austin being 4 years older, due to spending a greater length of time in Spurs’ academy rather than on loan, Josh Keeley has completed more senior minutes than him.

The opportunity to play consistently in League One will greatly benefit Keeley’s development and he will have a better chance of being trusted as a Tottenham backup in the future. While Postecoglou might not look for it specifically, fans won’t mind if Keeley wants to chip in with a few headed goals in the future as well.

The post Josh Keeley is impressing Ange Postecoglou on loan at Leyton Orient appeared first on Spurs Web.