Big brother provides spur for Jak’s progress

Nov 22 2009 by Lee Ryder, Sunday Sun

“It’s a great experience for him to play in the reserves and he’s been doing really well at that level.

“All of it will hold him in good stead for the future.

“We have two groups in the reserves, people like Ben Tozer and Ryan Donaldson, who are now almost senior players and back-up to the first team.

“And then there are the younger ones, the category into which Alnwick falls.

“It’s wonderful for him at the moment.

“He hasn’t played a lot of reserve team games and it is a step up for him.

“The fact we won saw him leave St James’ Park with a smile on his face.”

Hughton’s goalkeeping department is arguably one of the strongest at the club at the moment, with Alnwick’s progress just another top stopper to roll off the conveyer belt from the club’s youth and reserve team set-up.

Hughton currently has Fraser Forster on loan at Norwich City until the end of the season, with Tim Krul his back-up keeper to Steve Harper.

And young Swede Ole Soderberg is also vying for a place in the reserves after overcoming a slight illness earlier in the season.