I am running a unique J4K Elite Goalkeeper Event for just 12 serious goalkeepers aged 12 to 18. This is not another overcrowded, babysitting-style goalkeeper camp. I will personally coach and assess every goalkeeper attending, with the aim of identifying players I believe I can genuinely help progress towards: - Semi-professional football - Professional football - A university scholarship in the USA - For those who do not know my background, I am Ray Newland, founder of Just4Keepers. I spent around ten years as a professional goalkeeper, including time with clubs such as Everton, Plymouth Argyle, Chester City and Wigan Athletic. I have also coached and worked alongside goalkeeping legends including Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, Neville Southall, Peter Bonetti and Jim Leighton. Since founding J4K in 1998, I have helped many goalkeepers move closer to achieving their dreams. To name but a few, former J4K students include: Adam Davies, who went on to represent Sheffield United and Wales. Nathan Dean, who became an All-American at Elon University. Selected goalkeepers may also receive ongoing mentoring, promotion and representation support. Important This event is application-only, and just 12 goalkeepers will be selected. To register your interest, simply comment: 'Interested'- underneath this post. Everyone who comments will be sent the official application form at the start of August 2026. Please only comment if you are serious about taking your goalkeeping to the next level. Ray Newland Founder, Just4Keepers

Every Thursday, I will share my story of trying to achieve my dream to become a professional goalkeeper as a child, to getting rejected time and time again - Hopefully my stories will inspire you(or your goalkeeper child) to achieve your goalkeeping dreams. PLEASE SHARE this story with any young goalkeeper (or parent) who are struggling! From the age of 13, I had trials with three or four professional clubs almost every season. But time after time, I came home with the same message: “You are not good enough.” Those words hurt more every time I heard them. Parents who watched me play every week told my dad I was good enough. My dad believed in me too. Yet the clubs kept saying no. It got worse when lads from my school and Sunday team started getting signed by pro academies. I was happy for them, but it hurt. Some of them, in my honest opinion, were no better than me. I’d go home wondering what I was doing wrong! So, you can imagine, when I got to the end of my school year and everyone was leaving school, I thought my dream was over. I grew up on a council estate in Liverpool, and probably every friend I had at the time was expected to leave school, get any job and bring home a wage. Thankfully, my parents were different. They never once pressured me to give up football. They told me to keep training, keep believing, keep going and stay on at school. But, as you can imagine, again I thought my dream was over because, when I got to the end of my SECOND year in sixth form and I was just three months away from my 18th birthday, I made the decision that I could no longer expect my parents to keep supporting me. I needed to find a job. However, then everything changed WITHIN THREE WEEKS!!! With three months of school remaining, a mate called Roy Muscat got me a trial, and I signed for St Helens Town Reserves. I’d played three games when I was told I’d be playing for the first team because the first-team keeper, Joe Paladino, had gone on trial with Wigan Athletic.

I'm currently on the train home from London. My mum treated me to bring your boots session at Chelsea FC Stadium and then we went to a pug cafe called Cuppapug. I will upload some photos later

Second day of gloves on tour. This time we visited Brugge in Belgium. Very beautiful city and still very medieval. Didn't have time to get to club Brugge stadium as it was a bit far out

Thank you for everyone's birthday wishes today, it's been a great day. Starting with breakfast out, a walk around Bedford, the Splatter room, dinner out with Xavier and my mum and then a cake back at my mum's house (which Xavier chose & put candles on). Kirsty