I played with three English stars… now I want to make my mark against Man Utd

NEWPORT keeper Nick Townsend dreams of keeping a clean sheet against Manchester United.

But he insists that if he keeps Erik ten Hag's superstars at bay with a miracle show, he is unlikely to top his save. MALDON & TIPTREE.

Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend is preparing for Manchester United

And when asked if keeping United out will be the highlight of his career so far, he said: “No, keeping a clean sheet against Birmingham will always beat that!”

The lifelong Blues fan, who came through the ranks at St Andrew's, shut them down in a 2-0 Championship win at Barnsley in 2018.

And he rates a fingertip save over the crossbar he made against Stephane Ngamvoulou's non-league FA Cup side in 2019 as one that will take some time – even though he has the likes of Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes to compete against at Rodney Parade on Sunday.

He told SunSport: “It would be nice if I can add to my showreel of saves but even against United I will struggle to beat the save I made at Maldon & Tiptree!

“I also scored a nice one against Doncaster last week. But I have a feeling I'm going to have a busy afternoon!”

Townsend hopes that honing his skills with England goalkeepers Joe Hart, Jack Butland and Ben Foster will stand him in good stead.

The Newport stopper was in contact with the Three Lions trio at various times during his spell in Birmingham.

He said: “I was 17 months younger than Butland but when I was about 13-14 we started working together on Tuesday nights. He took care of me.

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Nick Townsend is the Newport goalkeeper in the line of fire against Man United

Townsend worked with Jack Butland during his days at Birmingham CityCredit: Rex

“But when I was in Birmingham we always had good goalkeepers – there was Ben and Joe of course.

“Still, because I was the same age as Jack, I worked with him the most.

“His attitude and approach to everything was always perfect. It was just the little things he did that stood out to me, like how we cleaned his boots and gloves – it was done to perfection.

“He was dedicated to everything he did, and that's what you need to be a keeper. Every one percent of extra details in stance can make the difference between saving a shot or not. He has a great mentality and was at it 24/7.

“And when I saw him progress the way he did, it motivated me because I saw a path to becoming a good goalkeeper myself.”

The opportunity to work with and train alongside experienced top goalkeepers such as Hart and Foster was also a huge boost to Townsend's confidence at St Andrew's.

Hart joined the Blues in the Premier League on loan from Manchester City for the 2009/2010 season, with Foster replacing him the following season while the club was still in the top flight.

And Townsend said: “Joe was as mad as a hatter – but his whole skill was quite new in terms of retention.

“He brought a new style to the way goalkeepers were, with his agility. You could see he was a leader and full of character when I came through.

“He's still doing it at Celtic, while Jack is at their Old Firm rivals Rangers. They were both great.

'The craziest of them all was definitely Ben. He was so funny. I was a bit shy at the time so didn't get involved, but he literally made jokes about everything. But for a young person he was a great person to talk to.

But when the pressure was on, he delivered a top performance when we beat Arsenal in the League Cup final in 2011.”

But today Townsend has the daunting task of silencing some of the biggest names in football.

And he said: “United may have some great players but they are just guys like us and they can make mistakes.

“They will be under pressure and I am sure we will get chances. We are all excited and can't wait to test ourselves on the same stage as Manchester United.”

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