Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson has full faith in his goalkeeping department despite the departure of Nikita Haikin over the international break leaving him with one senior player in the form of No1 Max O’Leary.
Haikin has re-signed with Bodo/Glimt in Norway, the team he left in January to move to the Robins on a short-term deal until the summer. With just eight games of the Championship season remaining there seems little point in looking to the free agent market to secure another more experienced goalkeeper - although Pearson admits it is still an option - so Harvey Wiles-Richards will be promoted to the position of No2 below O’Leary.
Within three days of Haikin’s exit, Wiles-Richards signed a one-year contract extension in BS3 and while he’s been a regular starter for the Under-21s, has also been part of the first-team squad on matchdays, home and away, travelling and training with the group.
