Joe Whitworth quickly becoming another Exeter City loan goalkeeper fans falling in love with

“He’s been amazing, I think,” Gary Caldwell said of his on-loan Crystal Palace glovesman.

ONE of the reasons for Exeter City’s decent start to their League One campaign is the performances of goalkeeper Joe Whitworth.

The 20-year-old shot-stopper has been in excellent form, especially of late, with four successive clean sheets helping the Grecians collect ten points from 12 available against Stevenage, Wigan Athletic, Leyton Orient and Cambridge United.

But while Whitworth was largely untroubled against Stevenage, he had to be on top form at Wigan, Orient and Cambridge where he made a number of fine saves to preserve his clean sheets and help the Grecians to two very good results on the road, which were then followed up by that weekend win over Garry Monk’s U’s.

“He’s been amazing, I think,” Caldwell said of his on-loan Crystal Palace glovesman. “We’ve been extremely lucky the last two seasons with the goalkeepers that we’ve had in Vil (Sinisalo) and in Joe; they’ve both been fantastic characters and that, like I said, takes you a long way. And it’s given them, obviously Vil last year, a great season.

“Joe has been outstanding for us this year and I think a lot of credit has to go to Kev Miller as well. He identified these goalkeepers and he works with these goalkeepers every day and he gives them that belief, that confidence that they can be top keepers. He does clips with them all the time and the work he does with it the goalkeepers is incredible, not just on the grass but obviously in the analysis rooms.

“All the goalkeepers, like Sean McDonald, I think has been an amazing deputy for Joe. He (McDonald) came in last week, got a clean sheet against Spurs, but pushes Joe every single day, supports Joe, whether that be looking at clips the night before a game, or whether that be the warm-up during the game.

“All the goalkeepers, Kev included as the coach, deserve a lot of credit for how we are performing in that department at the moment.”

Miller is, of course, a City legend. Plucked as a player from Newquay, the popular Cornishman made 200 appearances and was part of the Division Four championship winning team of 1990 before he went on to play for the likes of Birmingham City, Watford, Crystal Palace and Barnsley at all levels of the game.

He returned to St James Park for that hellish 2002/03 campaign when, despite his heroics, City were relegated from the Football League before leaving again to join Bristol Rovers. Miller also went on to have a prolonged career in non-league football and has racked up close to 2,000 appearances at all levels of the game. Now, his experience and knowledge are a huge help to Caldwell and Exeter with Miller very much the man responsible for the loan signings of Sinisalo and now Whitworth.

“Goalkeepers, they’re a different breed, I think,” Caldwell said. “I’ll challenge Kev, I’ll speak to Kev, but effectively, I know nothing about goalkeeping. I think they should save everything, and the goalkeepers tell me they can’t!

“But Kev has been amazing since he came to the club, not just in identifying Vil and Joe and the work he does with them, just his personality around the place.

“He’s a club legend that is always good with the supporters when I see him at SJP and he’s been an amazing find because when I came here we were obviously losing a goalie coach (Scott Brown) and needed to find one and I felt it was going to be a real challenge.

“For us to have Kev - and for him to be as good as he has - has been a massive boost.”