Reid: “I Always Had It In The Back Of My Mind That There Could Be a Chance To Come Here”

Tommy Reid said he’s “absolutely buzzing” to get started after reuniting with a familiar face in the dugout, as he prepares for the challenge ahead in his latest loan spell.

The goalkeeper became Chris Agutter’s first signing at Sutton when he made the loan switch from Charlton Athletic until January, linking up with his first ever coaches from time at Brighton & Hove Albion, and adding to a relationship which began he was a child.

After training with Sutton’s First Team for the first time ahead of the trip to Wealdstone, Reid spoke to Sutton United FCtv to discuss his career so far, as well as his aims for the coming months during his temporary stint in South London.

“I’m absolutely buzzing, really excited” he said. “I’ve obviously known the manager a long time, so go back till I was five, I think five, six. He’s one of my first ever coaches, so always been in contact and when he got the job here, I always had it in the back of my mind that there could be a chance to come here and over the last few weeks things developed.”

“A few weeks back they contacted a few staff members at Charlton and then it went quiet for a bit, and then I played a game on Tuesday for Charlton Under-21s and I think Terry Bullivant came to watch. Good things came out of it and got all sorted over the last few days.”

Having worked with Agutter in his youth, the young keeper believes that familiarity will help him settle immediately.

“I think coming into a place where I don’t know anyone, knowing the manager is huge. I think a lot of times players go into clubs knowing other lads or other staff members, but with him being the manager, it’s really easy for me to settle in and feel comfortable.”

“He’s told me the aims of the club and they excite me and I’m just excited to get going, as I said.”

The shot-stopper began his career with Brighton, gaining valuable experience on loan with Burgess Hill and AFC Totton, before joining Charlton last year.

“I think from training in the first team there and I had a few loan spells out, played for Burgess Hill and AFC Totton, I’d say that was my best experience at Brighton was actually playing out on loan but seeing the players that are in there, so the quality that’s there.”

“I ended up leaving Brighton at the end of last year and joined Charlton which was a big decision for me in my career and I think it’s the best decision I could have ever made.”

His time at Charlton, he says, allowed him to get closer to senior football than ever before, and he also spoke about the value of playing men’s football from a young age.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Charlton and I was able to get closer to the first team at Charlton as at Brighton, a Premier League club, everyone’s an international, so it’s hard to get close.”

“I’ve loved my time since joining Charlton and they’ve given me the platform to go out and loan, get some games here and at such a good level as well. So, yeah, definitely thankful to Charlton.”

“I think a lot of academies now try and enter their Under-21s team in competitions where you’re playing against men’s football because they know how massive it is.”

“When I used to play for Brighton Under-21s and similar with Charlton, playing against step 3-4 teams, you struggle like, but that is real football and yeah, I think it’s just massive, and if you can get out to one of those clubs, I think no matter what level, especially as a goalkeeper – I’m lucky and grateful to be at this level.

“Obviously worked hard for it, but just at any level, just the experience playing men’s football, it’s just the real world really. You’re not kept in a bubble or you’re not hidden.”

“You have people watching you and if you play bad, someone behind you is probably going to tell you so, that pressure as well. But I think it’s what makes players and makes boys into them.”

Describing his approach, he emphasised both reliability and composure in goal, something which has been emphasised by the groundwork laid during his time at Brighton, such an esteemed academy.

“As a goalie, for me, the job is to keep the ball out of the net and there’s nothing I enjoy more than making big saves, especially late on and, you know, especially when you’re at a place like this where there’s going to be 2,000, 3,000 people and they’re applauding you and you feel like you’ve won the team the game.

“Obviously, we don’t get to score goals, so, making the big saves as close to that as possible.”

“With the manager and the style of players at the club, they want to play football and that’s something I’ve always done from my time at Brighton and at Charlton as well, playing out and really like building the attack from my end. So definitely those two attributes there.”

“You want to play out and play a sexy style of football, but at the end of the day, whatever’s safest and what’s going to keep clean sheets, because that’s what been brought in to do, keep clean sheets and keep the ball out of the net, so I’m not going to be taking any risks where I’m risking the ball going in the back of my net because that’s nothing worse than conceding the goal for me.”

Reid was fortunate tough to be brought in to Charlton during their promotion-winning campaign, with the Addicks rising from League One via the play-offs last term, and was something which the new Sutton keeper reflected on fondly.

“It was amazing. I think from December onwards the team was just unbelievable, win after win and the fans were growing closer, the manager wasn’t in for a very long time but the job he’s done there and the first team and the 21s are trying to do the same thing.”

“It’s just like a big family then. All the lads are top and there’s some really good players in that team now and really starting to gel. I think fifth at the minute in the Championship and they’re absolutely flying, keeping clean sheets. They’ve made it really hard for me to get anywhere near the starting XI or on a bench, so hopefully this experience here can take back there and show them what I’ve learned coming here.”

“I think Nathan Jones is a manager everyone’s heard of. He’s managed in the Premier League and his style of football it’s not just one. You go long or you play short; I think Charlton can play a number of different ways, so it’s such a demand, especially as a goalkeeper, going in, training, and played a few games in pre-season for the first team.”

“It’s big demands to rectify how we need to play or how to hurt the opposition, and the lads in the first team at the minute are executing that really well. It shows how well they’re doing at the minute in the Championship.”

Now focused on the present, the goalkeeper is eager to embrace the challenge of regular football.

“I’m so excited. As I said, nothing better for me than making saves and people behind you applauding you for that. So I’m just really looking forward to getting outside and trying to keep some clean sheets and keep the ball up the net.”

“Everything I go into, especially football, I just try and enjoy it. And when I enjoy it, and play with a smile on my face, I’m going to play better, so I help my team as much as I can, keeping the ball out of the net.

“I’m looking forward to building a relationship with the back four and hopefully we can be a defensive unit that’s really hard to score against.”

“Training with the lads today, already speaking to them about the game tomorrow and how we’re going to play against Wealdstone; different ways that we can do to stay more as a solid unit and prevent as many goals as possible. It was really nice meeting the lads today and now I’m just looking forward to going to play outside.”