Tom Way reveals unique advantage to life on loan in the Hellenic League that academy football at Cheltenham Town may not be able to offer

19-year-old goalkeeper Tom Way currently runs out between the sticks for Hellenic Premier Division side Lydney Town with life in the adult game offering a unique pathway for development. Loans are a pivotal aspect of preparing the club’s scholars and youth players for a career in football with the Hellenic Leagues a strong level for Academy goalkeepers to be playing at. 

Tom Way in action for the Under 18s v Newport County

Speaking during a recent press event with the University of Gloucestershire, scholar Way said:

"I get so much more from playing loan men's football than at the academy that I’ve always been used to because there are just different elements of the game that you get.

"In the Academy, I won’t get a big 30-year-old centre-back stood on me at a corner so there’s things like that obviously you have to get used to as a goalkeeper and you sort of learn different things in different ways.

"Loan games are sometimes different to what Academy football is."

Way joined the Academy from Coventry City after attending trials at various other clubs but settling on the Robins to continue his development. It was a notable addition as Head of Academy Goalkeeping Dan Still insisted on bucking a trend to secure his signature with two goalkeepers offered scholarships in the same year group. 

“I guess it felt quite good, I was almost that extra one that they wouldn’t normally have so it made me feel slightly more important. 

“I’m not sure that’s the right way to word it but more important. I think then with training, training with three goalkeepers make it quite a lot easier than training with two, there’s more you can do.”

Way played in a victory at Forest Green Rovers

Way refers to Jude Franks who is also enjoying time on loan in the Hellenic Leagues having won promotion from Division One with Sporting Club Inkberrow last season despite losing to Malmesbury Victoria in the play-off final. 

“Me and Jude [Franks] are both playing out on loan, none of the keepers for the other teams are close to us in terms of age so I guess there’s a bit of that but it’s just different and I feel that it’s better for development at this point.

“I’ve played academy football the whole time and I’m used to the way that’s played, that sort of thing, playing out I don't feel like I need more work on. In these [academy] games I don’t get pass backs coming to my chest every game, it’s good to get used to that unless you stay playing at a very high level the whole time, you’ll have to get used to playing with that stuff.”

Way made the headlines at loan club Lydney in the FA Vase when they hosted Oldland Abbotonians in the FA Vase in September with Way the hero in the home side’s triumph. A late fightback saw Lydney come back from 2-0 down to take the game to penalties with Way not only saving a penalty but scoring one of his own.

Lydney are back in action on Saturday when they host Malmesbury Victoria while a youthful Robins side will travel to Bristol Manor Farm in the GFA Senior Cup on Tuesday night.