Super Eagles-eligible Goalkeeper Makes EFL Team Of The Season, Wins Young Player Award

Twenty-one-year-old English-born goalkeeper Owen Goodman, eligible to represent Nigeria, has been selected as part of the English Football League (EFL) Team of the Season for the League Two division. Goodman, who is also eligible to play for Canada, is currently on loan at AFC Wimbledon and has won his club’s Young Player Award for the 2024/25 season.

The goalkeeper, whose mother is Nigerian, played a pivotal role in helping AFC Wimbledon secure a sixth-place finish in League Two, thus qualifying for the playoffs in the recently concluded season. Goodman has significantly developed since joining AFC Wimbledon from Crystal Palace’s U21 team at the start of the current season.

Having made 44 appearances during the season, Goodman kept an impressive 21 clean sheets, and also featured in two FA Cup matches and three EFL Cup games. AFC Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson expressed his satisfaction with Goodman’s performances and impact on the team since his loan move from Crystal Palace.

Jackson highlighted the importance of the deal for Goodman’s career progression as well as for strengthening the goalkeeping department at Wimbledon.

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“He has been brilliant since arriving at the club, and he’s learning every day,” said AFC Wimbledon goalkeeping coach Ashley Bayes. “He is improving with every minute he plays. Obviously, this is his second loan, and I am really enjoying helping him develop, not just as a goalkeeper, but as a person as well.”

“Owen came in two weeks into our pre-season, so it took him a few weeks to acclimatise. As we’ve progressed, I feel like we’ve really brought out his personality, and he’s now integrated well with the players, which is very encouraging from a coaching perspective,” Ashley added.

Goodman, who played a total of 4,410 minutes during the 2024/25 season for Wimbledon, previously played for Colchester United as well as Crystal Palace’s U18 and U21 teams before his loan transfer. Goodman’s international career has seen him play for both the England U18 and U21 sides, as well as the U21 team of Canada.