LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE
FROM TRAINING WITH EDERSON TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE – LIFE AFTER CITY FOR KEEPER LOUIE
“ICAME through a group at City with James Trafford, Gavin Bazunu, and Cieran Slicker. Two of them made their Premier League debuts at 20, and I was playing in the National League at 21.”
The chances of making it all the way through to the top at an elite academy remain incredibly slim, and even slimmer for goalkeepers.
Louie Moulden knows that through his own experience, although as he builds his career up again he has had time to reflect on five years at the City Football Academy.
The son of former City striker Paul, Louie moved across to the Blues from rivals Liverpool at 14 in a controversial switch after he felt his progress had halted and wanted a fresh challenge.
After being cleared to play, Moulden’s first professional deal was for three years and the first saw him play for England at youth level and make the FA Youth Cup final, as well as win another cup and be part of a strong league performance.
However, the next season started in difficult circumstances with the death of a friend and a combination of injuries then stalling his development.
The pandemic arrived just as he tried to belatedly kickstart his season and after six more months of disruption the young stopper walked back into the academy to be told that he would be going to National League North side Gloucester on loan.
“For a Man City academy graduate, it is not the norm. That was tough, and it was not the right move for me,” Moulden tells M.E.N. Sport “It was a really rushed move and one where I didn’t have any time to think about and plan.
“That was an experience in itself coming out of a £200m training ground to go and play for Gloucester. It was an interesting six months of my life.
“I don’t want that to taint the relationships that I had there with people because there are some very good coaches and people and I loved working with them, so it is mixed feelings.
“But as with any decisions when you know you’re on your way out and you still have to see the year out that isn’t an easy position for anyone to be in regardless of where you’re at in your career.
“I had to leave at the end of that season and to be fair City were in agreement with me on that. They felt it was right for me and in hindsight it was the right decision for me. Luckily I landed at an amazing club who really value me and have treated me very well so it was the right decision in the end and I landed at a great club.”
To say Moulden had jumped down from Premier League to National League North, his next permanent move kept him in the top division as he became third choice at Wolves. The 22-yearold can’t speak highly enough of his current club, where he spent six months getting to grips with everything at Molineux before heading out on loans to Ebbsfleet, Solihull, and Rochdale.
If the first two allowed him to get games under his belt – with a play-off final at Ebbsfleet particularly good experience – it has been the move closest to home that has really seen Moulden find his feet.
The level may not have been much higher, but the club and environment have helped the keeper take a major step forward with 28 starts for Rochdale that have also seen the former City academy keeper pick up a remarkable five assists – including two in one game.
“The gaffer [Jim McNulty] had the same conversation in the summer and he told me I’d get some assists. I didn’t quite imagine I’d have got five but I think if I’d stayed there in the second half of the season I’d have got seven or eight!
“It’s down to Jim. It’s my execution that I have to get right but he gave me the option to do that and it worked five times.
“I’ve always been good with my feet. I like to play out a lot and being at City training and seeing what Ederson, [Claudio] Bravo and all these keepers that I was lucky enough to train with while I was there and that has set me up in good stead.
“That’s why I say it was a very mixed bag of emotions at City because what an unbelievable experience to be able to train with Ederson as a 17-yearold kid. I’m very lucky in that respect.
“When you think of Rochdale, people don’t think of them as a National League club. They’re an established league club.
“It just seemed like a really good logical stepping stone and I’ve grown up round there watching many games there so it just felt like the right step. Being back home for the first time in four years with my family, girlfriend, and friends, and playing for Rochdale has worked well.”
In fact, Moulden was so good at Rochdale that he is no longer there, with League One side Northampton snapping him up as they chase promotion to the Championship. It means another move for the youngster but one that brings him closer to the league that he and Wolves want him to be in.
Rochdale have been sad to lose him, and some regulars rated him more highly than recent loanees Robert Sanchez and Gavin Bazunu. Both of those have since played in the Premier League, showing the potential to shoot up through the levels if you impress.
That remains Moulden’s ultimate goal, although his experience so far has taught him that making the right move is worth waiting for. Jason Steele and Emiliano Martinez were 31 and 28 respectively when they made their Premier League debuts, with World Cup winner Martinez a particular marker given he came through Arsenal’s academy before moving down the league.
The next challenge for Moulden is to get game time at Northampton, an ambitious club in the running for back-to-back promotions with an established No.1 in Lee Burge.
“It’s a different challenge. I’m not expecting to come here and come straight into the team,” he said. “That brings its own difficulties and challenges but I’m confident I will get a chance and it is up to me to stay ready and stay focused and when that chance comes I’ve got to take it in League One, which is much closer to the level that Wolves want me at.
“I came through a group at City with James Trafford, Gavin Bazunu, and Cieran Slicker [currently at Championship highflyers Ipswich]. That was our training group. Two of them made their Premier League debuts at 20, and I was playing in the National League at 21.”
“Of course, I would love to play in the Premier League at 19 or 20 but ultimately if you get there, you get there. it doesn’t matter when or how, you just have to work hard and walk your own path.”