YOUNG goalkeeper Sam Hornby has been impressing during his loan spell at Brackley Town this season, hence the reason Nigel Clough has offered the 21-year-old a new contract to stay at the Pirelli.
Sam has spent the second half of the season on loan at Brackley in order to help them survive in the Conference National North, which they did on goal difference.
Clough said: “He’s impressed us very much since we came in.
“He’s training with the first-team goalkeepers every day and he’s been out on loan at Brackley for the second half of the season who have just managed to stay in the Conference North.
“You always need a third-choice goalkeeper for training and everything.
“If one goalkeeper gets a bang on the fingers, as they do regularly, they’ll drop out then you need another two good goalkeepers that will keep the standard of training high.”
After impressing at Brackley and picking up the player of the season award at his loan club, Nigel Clough has high hopes for Hornby and is looking to send him on loan to a League Two club in order to gain the right experience.
“The plan with him is to get him out on loan to League Two if we can, if not it will be the conference to continue that experience,” said Clough.
He added: “What goalkeepers need as much as training is match experience in order to mature.
“He’s only young but he’s improving.”
Stephen Bywater was drafted in as cover for Jon McLaughlin in January when Remi Matthews returned to Norwich after a loan spell which saw him play six times for the Albion.
Bywater was only contracted until the end of the season but the Brewers boss is working on a deal for the former Derby stopper.
He said: “We’re working on something for Stephen (Bywater) at the moment.
“We haven’t got round to it yet but he’s quite relaxed about that.
“It’s a good dynamic between the goalkeepers, they’re like a little department on their own.
“As much as they are a part of the team on match day when It comes to training they are like a little department.
“Martin Taylor will take them away and it’s important that they all get on and understand their roles and that’s the case we’ve got here.”