AFC Wimbledon, Burton Albion, Grimsby Town, and Bromley are all interested in highly rated Gateshead goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks, Football League World can exclusively reveal.
With the EFL’s festive season just around the corner, clubs across the divisions are getting a sense of what kind of season awaits them.
As a result, attention are turning to the January transfer window, as managers across the country have had time to assess which elements of their various clubs are missing and may be strengthened in the next year.
AFC Wimbledon, Grimsby Town, Bromley and Burton Albion are seeking Gateshead goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks.
Football League World has learned exclusively that AFC Wimbledon, Grimsby Town, Bromley, and Burton Albion are all keeping an eye on Gateshead goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks.
The 23-year-old goalkeeper has been in terrific form for the Heed this season, appearing in 15 of their 19 National League games, despite Alun Armstrong’s team presently hovering barely above the relegation zone.
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As a result, his performances have piqued the interest of EFL clubs, with various League Two and League One teams keeping an eye on him ahead of the January transfer window.
Brooks, a Republic of Ireland young international from Sheffield, began his football career in Sheffield Wednesday’s academy before going to Notts County and becoming a professional there in 2019.
Over the next three years, he would go on loan to Hednesford Town, Boston United, Cork City, and Rochdale before joining Gateshead in the summer transfer window last year.
Brooks has since made almost 40 Tynesiders games and five Under-21 international appearances for the Republic of Ireland.
Brooks appears eager to test himself at EFL level – Gateshead’s contract problems may work against the Heed.
Brooks signed a two-year contract with Gateshead in July of last year, and his contract expires at the end of this season.
As a result, with the teenage goalkeeper now firmly on the radar of EFL clubs, the Heed may have missed out on a long-term deal for him at the International Stadium.
With the club looking set for a long season in the National League, Brooks may believe that his current team is a long way from contending for League Two promotion, and he may wish to capitalise on the interest shown in him in order to give himself the best possible chance of making a career for himself at EFL level.
Being named Gateshead’s October Player of the Month despite the fact that his team did not win a single league game in October demonstrates how effectively he’s been playing, and may emphasize his readiness to take the next step in his career.
AFC Wimbledon, Grimsby Town, Bromley, and Burton Albion do not have a pressing need for a goalkeeper, at least not a starting one, but Brooks could easily come into any of those clubs and immediately start pushing for the backup post, with a long-term plan for the number one shirt in mind.
Or he may surprise a few people and make an instant claim for the starting shirt, but his time at Gateshead appears to be coming to an end, considering his contract predicament and the evident interest from multiple EFL clubs.
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