Teenager Whitworth shows he's no ordinary Joe after late call-up

IN Crystal Palace’s hour of need, Joe Whitworth did not let his boyhood club down.

- Nizaar Kinsella

The 19-year-old goalkeeper was thrust into his senior debut following an injury to No1 Vicente Guaita, and he was a rare positive on another disappointing night for Patrick Vieira.

Whitworth, a former Selhurst Park ball-boy who came through the club’s academy, only learned he was playing when coach Dean Kiely told him at the team hotel yesterday morning.

For a lifelong Palace fan, and with his family in the away end, a debut away at the home of your biggest rivals could have been a baptism of fire. But Whitworth stood up to the challenge and, after a nervy start, produced several impressive saves, notably close-range stops from Alexis Mac Allister and Pervis Estupinan.

“It was massive for me, being a Palace fan and playing for the senior team,” said Whitworth. “It was massive for my family. It’s a really proud moment. It was a big game to start in, but I really enjoyed it.