For most goalkeepers, heading out on loan as a 20-year-old will be their first taste of senior football, but not for Crystal Palace’s Joe Whitworth.

As a mere 19-year-old, he was launched into the toil of the Premier League, filling Palace’s void between the sticks against arch-rivals Brighton in March 2023. 

On a toxic night at the Amex Stadium, which saw Patrick Vieira sacked as Palace boss, Eagles fans took one positive back to South London - the emergence of Joe Whitworth.

Whitworth, a lifelong Palace fan, became the club's youngest top-flight goalkeeper as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat on the South Coast. 

In an exclusive interview with the News Shopper, Whitworth reflected on the night he fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing in the Premier League.

“I’ve said in the past I was quite numb because everything happened really quickly. My mindset was to just focus on playing and making sure I did well for the team. The whole day was unbelievable,” Whitworth shared. 

“The atmosphere was incredible and to be able to make my debut playing in a rivalry game against Brighton was surreal and to be able to do it as a Palace fan - it was written in the stars. 

“It was early [in my career] and out of the blue, but I thought my performance was good, and I was happy with how I played. I was unhappy with the result, especially as a Palace fan, but the day was amazing for my family and me. 

“It was amazing to see my Mum and Dad in the away end, seeing them while I was warming up and then obviously playing and afterwards, making them so proud, it is why I play football really. The icing on the cake was seeing them so happy.” 

MORE PALACE NEWS

Following his debut, Whitworth did not have to wait long until he donned the Palace goalkeeper's kit again, starting against Arsenal at the Emirates. From that point, the then 19-year-old became a permanent fixture of the Palace matchday squad. 

Whitworth often travelled to games as a backup goalie and sometimes featured on the bench for the Eagles as they brushed away the fear of relegation under Roy Hodgson’s guidance. 

Palace stayed up - fairly comfortably in the end - and with the addition of Dean Henderson to their goalkeeper's union, chances for Whitworth were going to be few and far between. 

A loan last summer would have been the obvious option for Palace's hot prospect, but the keeper remained at the club for a further season - winning the Premier League International Cup with the Under-21s. 

“The club have been great for me," Whitworth avowed. "Obviously, making my debut and being a part of the first-team squad for the past two years, travelling with the squad, being on the bench a lot and training every day with the seniors, it’s been a massive experience for me. It’s helped me push on. 

“The conversations about a loan started last season, where I felt the next step was for me to go out on loan. I needed some men's football and some games under my belt in the EFL. That happened at the start of last season, but we decided to stay with the first team and continue to train among the best players in the world.” 

(Image: PA)

After spending the 2023/24 campaign on standby at Selhurst Park - working daily with Dean Kiely to develop his all-round game, Whitworth’s patience, dedication and graft earned him his first loan spell. 

Guided by his agent Adam Sells, along with the club, League One Exeter City was cherry-picked for the goalie to go and perfect his craft. 

“At the start of this season, the aim was to get out on loan. I had a few conversations with the gaffer, Dean Kiely and Steve Parish as well. Everyone was in the same boat to get me out on loan, everyone was helping. 

“I had quite a few conversations with Dean Kiely, who has been massive for me in my development - he has helped me a lot so far. The main thing at the start of this season was to get out on loan and hopefully play as many games as possible.

“It has been great so far. Two wins, and two losses in the League. We feel like we could have done a bit better in the games that we lost. Personally, I feel like I have performed pretty well. All I have thought about is hopefully continuing to be as consistent as possible every game and making an impact on the game. 

“For me, I think this club is great, the manager has been amazing for me. I have settled in really well, the lads have been great, and my confidence has been building every game by playing well, and hopefully that can continue building throughout the season.” 

Since joining Exeter, Whitworth has made 15 saves in five starts while keeping two clean sheets. The shot-stopper explained that the experience from his two Premier League appearances has helped him settle into life in Devon. 

“From now, it has been about two years since I played in the Premier League. There’s been a lot that I have taken from those games that I have put into practice behind the scenes. I feel like I have developed a lot. 

“The main thing to work on for me was the game management side. I think what I learned from the games [vs Brighton and Arsenal] was when to speed things up or slow them down and knowing your players. 

“Those are the main things that I have tried to take into Exeter because at the end of the day, we are playing for three points every week, and we want to get as many points as possible to stay at the top end of the table. I think it is a big part of the game that I have taken from my first couple of games in the Premier League.” 

(Image: Exeter City FC)

Standing at just under 5'11", Whitworth spent last season putting in the hours with Dean Kiely at Copers Cope to develop his technique of claiming crosses.

Noting that he needed to become more commanding, Whitworth admitted that he's had to work hard because of his height, but he is now receiving the dividends. 

“Obviously, with my height, there has come a time when people have asked questions about how I would deal with crosses. The main thing for me was to continue to improve that. I think I have massively improved. 

“There's still lots of room to improve because I am still a young player. I need to make every single aspect of the game a strength of mine, but I have developed the commanding style of my game a lot. 

“Dean and I worked really hard on the training pitch last season to help me find solutions to do different things. In the first couple of games here at Exeter, it has shown. I’ve dealt with that side of the game well so far, but I need to keep going.” 

LATEST PALACE NEWS

In the modern game, the number of goalkeepers obsessing with the slightest of gains has reached an all-time high. Look no further than penalty kicks and the likes of Jordan Pickford printing charts on water bottles to decide where to dive. 

Exeter’s number one is no exception to the rule. Whitworth has already saved a penalty this season, and at academy level, making a stop from 12 yards was his forte. The Palace loanee detailed his efficient process, proclaiming: “any marginal gain is major”. 

“I think a lot of goalkeepers are doing the same thing. I sit down with all the goalies and the coach, and we will look at past penalties, people who we think will take them, and people who might not be on the pitch but could end up taking. 

“We will watch their penalties and see where they have gone in recent times. In football now, any marginal gain is major. We watch the penalty takers and see what they do, whether they have any tells, any steps, any shuffles. 

“But for me, I try to just make a decision when he’s about to take it and just commit to it. I have saved a few, and hopefully that continues.” 

Closer to home, Crystal Palace endured vast change in their goalkeeping department this summer. Sam Johnstone departed for Wolves, while American Matt Turner was signed as a temporary replacement. 

Looking ahead to next season, a strong campaign at Exeter could see Whitworth play understudy to Henderson. However, the 20-year-old was keen to remain grounded. 

(Image: CPFC)

“That’s not up to me if that happens. I had lots of conversations with the manager before I left and obviously Dean Kiely. The main focus for me is playing as many games as possible this season and anything that happens next season is out of my control for the moment. 

“For anything like that to happen, I need to play well and show what I can do in League One, so that is what I am focused on doing.”

Whitworth returns to the capital on Tuesday 1st October, with the Grecians taking on Leyton Orient.