Sam Johnstone’s former goalkeeping coach Gary Walsh has praised the Crystal Palace shot-stopper, sharing what the 30-year-old does so well.
The pair worked together at West Bromwich Albion, with Walsh recalling his time with Johnstone after his latest England performance.
Since his debut for Palace in April 2023, Johnstone, who earns £43,000-a-week, has kept the most clean sheets out of any goalkeeper in the Premier League with seven – one more than David Raya in second.
As for his displays for his nation, he’s played four times – keeping a clean sheet on every single occasion.
Walsh on what makes Johnstone stand out
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, the former Manchester United goalkeeper revealed what the 30-year-old does on a daily basis to allow him to perform to his current standard.
“He has his own chef. He does plyometrics in the gym. He wants to do things right. He is someone who wants to look back on his career and know that he did everything he could possibly do.
“Anything you throw at him, he will just get on with it.
“That is the big thing with him. Every single day in training, he tries to get the best out of it.
“They instilled that in him at a young age at Manchester United and it means that his standards are so high in every session. That mentality is a huge part of it with him.”
Competition from Dean Henderson
With Dean Henderson struggling with injury since his arrival from Old Trafford, Johnstone has had no competition from the 26-year-old.
However, it will be interesting to see who Roy Hodgson opts to choose as his number one when Henderson recovers from his latest injury setback.
