West Bromwich Albion’s Max O’Leary has been widely regarded as the most impressive goalkeeper in the Championship this season, which is not something Bristol City fans expected in January.

The 30-year-old was one of a few Ashton Gate players who were allowed to leave the club to join Championship rivals in January, with their contracts expiring at the end of the season.

O’Leary was joined by his boyhood best friend Zak Vyner, who departed for Wrexham, and creative midfielder Anis Mehmeti, who joined promotion-chasing Ipswich Town.

However, unlike the other two, many Robins fans were not disappointed by O’Leary’s departure. The Irishman was frequently criticised, as is always the case when goalkeepers make mistakes, and was replaced that year by Manchester United loanee Radek Vitek.

Those who welcomed his departure, however, are being made to look foolish, as O’Leary has thrived in goal at the Hawthorns and is now a key component of West Brom’s prospective promotion drive.

Max O’Leary’s tenure at Bristol City ended unhappily.

O’Leary spent 18 years with the Robins after joining their academy, solidifying his spot as the club’s number one midway through the 2022/23 season following a few loan spells in the EFL, replacing Dan Bentley, who was close to joining Wolves.

He played the final 33 games of that season, followed by every league minute for the next few seasons and the two play-off semi-finals at the end of the 2024/25 season, for a total of 127 consecutive league and play-off starts.

Despite being at the top of the saving standings in 2023/24, he conceded over two more goals than his predicted goals against tally indicated, and his save percentage dipped to 68% the following year.

During those two seasons, he made five errors that resulted in goals. Clearly, some members of the Bristol City crowd believed that if the club was to go on from their play-off finish last season, they needed to do so with someone else in goal.

In came Vitek from Manchester United, who went on to win the Robins’ Player of the Year Award that year, and despite appearing for five games during the Christmas period, O’Leary’s time at Ashton Gate appeared to be drawing to a close.

Last season, Max O’Leary was part of a powerful West Brom defence under temporary manager James Morrison.

O’Leary joined West Brom on an initial six-month contract. Some of the reaction online at the time was not particularly thrilling, with some Bristol City fans even jokingly wishing Baggies fans luck with the transfer.

The Irishman was the first signing under new head coach Eric Ramsay, and in the second part of the season, a West Brom side that had conceded more goals than any other team not in administration and had been forced to deploy inexperienced players turned the tables and were very good defensively.

It would take until Ramsay was fired in favour of club legend James Morrison taking over as interim manager to start scoring at the other end and winning games to help West Brom avoid relegation to League One, but O’Leary only conceded two or more goals in four of his 16 league appearances last season.

The 30-year-old did not play in the one game they surrendered against Wrexham during Morrison’s perfect run of seven clean sheets in eight to secure survival. Indeed, Nathaniel Chalobah’s opening for Sheffield Wednesday on the penultimate day brought an end to the shot-stopper’s 552-minute streak of not conceding.

Granted, the Baggies defence was unstoppable, and O’Leary made fewer than two saves per game last season, but it wasn’t as disastrous an opening six months as many thought, and when his contract was renewed in the summer, many were relieved.

Max O’Leary was one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship this season.

West Brom have maintained the momentum gained at the close of last season, and at the November international break, they are fifth in the Championship, one point off first spot, with the division’s second-best defensive record.

Again, the Baggies have been defensively tight, but not as stiff as they were under Morrison last season. O’Leary needed to be called to action, and he more than delivered.

So far this season, the 30-year-old has prevented 6.61 goals, 2.5 more than any of his goalkeeping colleagues. Only Southampton’s Daniel Peretz has a greater save percentage than the Irishman, who makes about three saves each game at a 75.4% rate.

Some of his efforts in derby games against Wolves and Birmingham City, even in defeat, have captivated the audience and kept the score low, and Baggies fans credit him with much of their early-season defensive success. Importantly, he has yet to commit an error that resulted in a goal.

If O’Leary can maintain this kind of performance over the next 31 league games, West Brom should be a lock for a play-off spot, and they may even challenge for an unexpected automatic promotion spot.

Bristol City are experiencing genuine goalkeeper envy as Max O’Leary impresses at West Brom.

Meanwhile, O’Leary’s former club, Bristol City, is watching, wishing they had a goalkeeper performing at this level.

The Robins looked to the League. One to replace Vitek in the summer, signed Sam Tickle from Wigan Athletic and Brad Collins, who spent last season on loan at Burton Albion from Coventry City. Both were excellent in the third tier but struggled with the step-up.

Tickle started as number one but was dropped after a defeat to Sheffield United in favour of Collins, who started with a clean sheet against Stoke City. In the three games since, the Robins have conceded nine goals, including five without reply at home to Norwich City.

Michael Skubala is under a lot of strain in the Ashton Gate dugout right now, and you have to wonder if having a top-tier goalkeeper like O’Leary would help alleviate some of it.

Bristol City appeared pleased to let him go in January, but are swiftly coming to regret that decision.