Following his move to Wycombe Wanderers, goalkeeper Nathan Bishop has admitted that the prospect of joining the club was ‘extremely exciting.’
The shot-stopper has arrived in South Buckinghamshire on a season-long loan from Championship outfit Sunderland, after just one year in the North East.
The 25-year-old played only two games for the Black Cats during the 2023/24 campaign following his exit from 13-time Premier League champions, Manchester United.
In fact, the keeper had agreed to sign for the Chairboys in the summer of 2022 on loan from the Red Devils.
He was presented with a number one shirt following the departure of David Stockdale, and was expected to be the club’s first-choice keeper for the 2022/23 season.
Bishop took part in several training sessions and even gave interviews (which were never published), about joining the club.
However, United backed out of the deal just days before the start of the campaign, meaning the goalkeeper returned to Old Trafford.
He featured four times for the club’s U21 side in the EFL Trophy that year, as Wanderers decided to sign Max Stryjek from Livingston.
But two years later, Bishop is back and is very much staying in Bucks.
Speaking on the move, he told WanderersTV: “I’m really excited, coming here to the new training ground where everyone’s got happy faces.
"It’s an amazing facility.
"Being a local lad, and knowing the direction is going in with the new ownership, it was extremely exciting to know there was a chance to come here.
"I think we can do really well as a team.
"I want to play as many games as possible and I just want to be a part of a really good squad and push on to be hopefully in the top half of the league."
The news of Bishop’s arrival took place on the same day that fellow keeper, Franco Ravizzoli, announced he would be reaming at Adams Park.
The Argentine joined the Chairboys in the autumn of 2023 on a one-year deal, initially as a backup to Max Stryjek.
However, following the latter’s red card away at Stevenage in February of this year, the Polish native never played for the club again, and would later join Crewe Alexandra in League One on an emergency loan.
Ravizzoli ended the season as number one, playing 15 times and keeping seven clean sheets.
He also played in the club’s EFL Trophy final defeat against Peterborough United in April, where he was unfortunately lobbed from roughly 35-yards from a Harrison Burrows cross.
This happened in the 89th minute of the contest and won the cup for the Posh, who beat Wanderers 2-1 at Wembley Stadium.
Ravizzoli told WanderersTV: “I’m happy to stay and I’m looking forward to the new chapter,” he said.
“The way we finished last season was very promising and exciting, and this year is looking the same.
“The club is moving in the right direction, and everyone has come in today with big smiles, so I’m very happy to be here.
“The players we have, as well as the staff, the physios, the chef and everyone makes a lovely group of human beings.”
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