A FORMER Bridgwater Town goalkeeper who didn’t pick up a pair of gloves until he was 16 has this week earned a professional contract with Championship outfit Swansea City – and saved a penalty on his debut just hours after signing on the dotted line.

Josh Gould, now 21, has been on a remarkable journey since deciding to try his hand between the sticks having originally been a keen rugby player at Heathfield Community School.

Within two years he was captaining Somerset at age-group level and representing England Schoolboys South West, while also making his first steps into senior football at Bridgwater Town.

Having studied at Bridgwater & Taunton College, Gould then went on to Cardiff Metropolitan University before making the brave decision to leave the university football team in his final year in search of regular first-team action – it more than paid off, as his season with Taffs Well FC led to trials at Cardiff City and Swansea City, with whom the ‘keeper has now signed a one-year deal.

Gould told the Bridgwater Mercury: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest.

“Yesterday was such a busy day – I had my medical and a heart scan in Cardiff, then went to sign the papers and was told almost straight away that I would be playing that night [for Swansea’s Under-23s against Derby County].

“It went really well – we drew 1-1 and I managed to save a penalty - but it was only afterwards that I was able to try and take it all in. Everything happened so quickly so I didn’t really have time to get nervous.”

Gould developed under the wing of Luke Buckingham – himself a former goalkeeper at Bristol Rovers and Yeovil Town - at BTC, and the 21-year-old stressed how grateful he was to his mentor and footballing father figure, who died at the age of 30 in 2015.

“Without Luke I wouldn’t be playing anywhere near the level I am today,” Gould said.

“He had a blank canvas in front of him when he took me on – I was a 16-year-old kid who had never picked up a pair of gloves before.

“He taught me everything I know about goalkeeping but it was about more than that. Luke created a phenomenal environment around the whole college, with the whole Better Never Stops mantra which lives on today, and he was so influential in helping young players experience senior football and establishing that pathway between the college and Bridgwater Town.”

Gould made his first-team debut for the Robins during his final year at college and from there it was off to Cardiff Met.

“I had a tough couple of years initially,” Gould said.

“Luke passing away to leukaemia was devastating and left me without my mentor, and I was struggling to get games for the University team.

“I made the decision in my final year to go and play in the Welsh leagues as I needed to play regularly and that was massive for me.

“It was a great experience to play week in, week out alongside and against some great characters, playing at different grounds and just learning my trade.

“I knew last season that Derby and Cardiff had watched me and were interested, and I had a week’s trial at Cardiff earlier in the summer.

“Then Swansea said they were keen and invited me in for a week. That became two weeks, then four, then five and now I’ve signed for the season.

“Training every day was tougher than I expected – it was mentally and physically draining. But the days go by so quickly and I’m really enjoying it.

“My long-term goal is to do enough to earn another contract beyond this year and stay in the professional game, but short-term there are specific areas of my game I will be working on.

“I’m determined to keep enjoying it, keep my head down, listen to what the coaches tell me and give it my all.”

Gould’s story is evidence that there is more than one route into the professional game, and there is a sense that he is still having to pinch himself at the opportunity he has been provided with.

“I didn’t think I could be a professional goalkeeper until I was 18, when I had a trial at Bristol Rovers, and when that didn’t work out I thought it was too late,” he said.

“It is very tough, and very rare, to get a professional deal after the age of 18 if you haven’t been in an academy set-up – most goalkeepers have been in academies since the age of 12.

“I’ve always believed I was good enough to do it and there are a fair few stories of players who have come in from non-league. The stories of people like Jamie Vardy and Nick Pope, who have gone from non-league to the England World Cup squad, act as inspiration and hopefully coaches and academy directors will start looking more towards non-league for talent.”

Watch Josh's debut penalty save below: