Watch as former Newcastle United man has debut to forget with horror moment
It was a debut to forget for this former Newcastle United goalkeeper.
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Max Thompson had a debut to forget for Gateshead.
The 22-year-old was released by the Magpies in the summer having never made a first-team appearance, although he was named on the bench for seven of the club’s Champions League matches last season before joining Ayr United on loan for the second half of the campaign.
Thompson has now found a permanent home on the other side of the Tyne after joining Gateshead on an 18-month deal following a brief spell at National League rivals Hartlepool United.
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He was officially announced as a Heed player on Friday and made his debut less than 24 hours later against Barrow. As it turned out, it was one to forget.
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper has debut to forget
Gateshead lost 3-0 at the International Stadium, with Thompson conceding a third goal to fellow goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom in the closing stages.
The Barrow man launched a free-kick forward from inside his own half. Thompson frantically retreated towards his line and managed to get his hands to the ball, but misjudged both its power and height, allowing it to slip through his grasp before he crashed into the side netting.
The strike was credited to Winterbottom, although you could argue it was an own goal from Thompson.
Max Thompson on joining Gateshead
Ahead of his debut, Thompson said: “It’s good just to get playing again, get settled with a new group and hopefully just kick on. Obviously, everything that has been going on in the past months looks like it’s been cleared up now, so it’s been a smooth transition for me getting here.
“It’s a different challenge, one I’ve never been part of before. It’s going to be tough, but I knew coming into this it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s an opportunity to test myself, to see how I can handle the pressure of it and see what comes out of it.
“It’s a lot easier once you know where you’re going to be for the season, rather than waiting day by day for what’s going to happen.
“It’s definitely nicer, it settles you down and you can get focused on what you have to do rather than primarily focusing on myself. I can focus on the team and what we might need rather than what I need.”