UNITED'S GOALKEEPING BROTHERS KICKING ON
Manchester United’s goalkeeping brothers Max and Sam Johnstone are hoping for a positive end to the season on a personal note as they both make progress with their careers.
Despite not making a competitive appearance for the Reds, Sam is well known to the club's fans as a member of the first-team squad for several seasons and the goalkeeper for the 2011 FA Youth Cup-winning side. The 24-year-old, who has seen some senior action on United's pre-season tours, joined Aston Villa on loan in January and has been in excellent form for Steve Bruce's men in the Championship, keeping his eighth clean sheet in 12 games as the Villans beat Birmingham City 1-0 in Sunday's Midlands derby.
Sam's younger brother Max, 18, only arrived at United last summer but has been in the Under-18 and Reserves squads and made the recent trip to Texas with the Dallas Cup squad, making a fine late penalty save to earn a draw in the friendly with Eintracht Frankfurt.
"It’s all been great," Max told ManUtd.com while in the United States. "I have been learning each day from everybody at the training ground and I feel that’s what it is all about at my age. The goalkeeping coaches Alan Fettis and Wolfie [Kevin Wolfe] have helped me enormously since I came into the club. I’ve never felt better, working under them, and I know they will help me to keep improving.
"I think it is all about learning. You have to work hard at a club like this and try to improve any aspects of your game that you can. We all want to win games but a lot of us lads feel that our development is the most important thing."
It goes without saying that Sam, six years his senior, has been a major influence on Max’s career and is always there to offer advice.
"He has been a massive help," explained Max. "He told me to enjoy it, to learn from it. He came over here to Dallas in 2012 and got to the final.
"He has been a huge influence on my career, he has already been there on my path ahead so he knows the way to go. How he handles himself is something I watch and hopefully can take into my own game."
Sam, who had his younger brother staying with him when Max was settling into the early days of life at United, is naturally proud of the progress he has made this season.
"Max is enjoying it,” Sam told ManUtd.com. “I think, at first, it was an eye opener for him, coming to Manchester United, but he got his head down and he works hard with the Under-18s and the Reserves and the goalkeeping coaches.
“He’s improving and we’ll see what happens with him. Hopefully, he can stay and keep learning from the coaches and the players. He loves it.
"He lives in my old digs (lodgings) now... he lived with me at my place for a bit, until I kicked him out! But I always check up on him and make sure he’s behaving himself!”
Both of the Johnstones - the latest set of brothers to be at United at the same time, following the Keanes, Da Silvas, Nevilles and Greenhoffs among others - will be determined to end 2016/17 on a real high.
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