UPDATE: Why Portsmouth believe ex-Spurs man’s non-league exit can boost his career.
That’s the message from Joe Prodomo, following the 22-year-old’s switch to National League South side Chelmsford City until January.
The former Spurs prospect made nine starts in his Blues maiden campaign, including being handed a Football League debut.
However, Pompey believe regular football elsewhere will benefit Oluwayemi’s promising development rather than condemning him to bench duty for another season.
And with Will Norris and Ryan Schofield now occupying the goalkeeping slots, it allows the youngster to flourish in somebody else’s first-team.
Pompey goalkeeping coach Prodomo told The News: ‘Realistically for any player, but particularly goalkeepers, it’s very hard to learn, develop and improve your match-day performance if you are not exposed to matches – and Will (Norris) has been brought in as a number one goalkeeper and there to play the first-team games.
‘We have been honest with Josh all the way along in that we feel his pathway towards trying to get closer to regular minutes for us is potentially a loan move.
‘Josh had one game at Maidenhead previously and played in the Papa Johns Trophy as well as the league last year, but to step in with very little senior football and play for a club like Pompey is no small feat.
‘It’s really important he and Toby (Steward) are given the time to be what they can be because goalkeepers typically take a little longer to reach the peak of their powers.
‘When you look at all the successful case studies in recent years, generally those domestic English goalkeepers who get to the high levels have a high number of loans before playing for their senior club, such as Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope.
‘Although we’re a League One club at the moment and not a Premier League club, it’s the same basis. We’re trying to build the steps towards them being capable for us at this level and hopefully beyond.
‘Josh needs to play some regular football. Everyone who follows the club could see last season he had a couple of moments that didn’t quite go his way, but around that he had plenty of good moments to show the potential he has.
‘We were really pleased with Josh overall when you look at his picture, his contribution in the majority of the league games he played, and in the Papa Johns Trophy. We have high hopes for him.’
Despite strides in his development, Oluwayemi’s season ended on a low in a 2-2 draw to Wycombe.
Starting the match, he was questioned over both the Chairboys’ goals, while was substituted in the 64th minute after suffering concussion following a collision with Sam Vokes.
Prodomo added: ‘Going into Wycombe, it was made clear to him that it wasn’t make or break. If he had produced a really good performance, as he did against Burton, he wasn’t in all honesty going to come back in pre-season as the number one goalkeeper.
‘Just the same as if he had a moment or two which didn’t go his way in that game, he’s not going to be disregarded as having no potential or future.’
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