Keeper Joel Coleman has signed a new six-month deal with the Blues.

Coleman, 27, joined Town in November on a deal until January, coming in as back-up after third-choice Nick Hayes suffered an injury which required surgery and will keep him out of action for much of the rest of the season.

“I’m buzzing to get it done,” Coleman told the club site. “All of the players, coaching staff and everyone around the training ground have made me feel very welcome. It was a long way to move from Manchester but they’ve made me feel like part of a family.

“I’ve loved the training, I’ve loved the philosophy, I’ve loved the manager and the coaching staff and I know I’m going to improve by staying here longer.

“Hopefully I can keep pushing Vas [Vaclav Hladky] and Walts [Christian Walton] every day in training to get the best out of each other.

“If I keep working hard then along the line I may get an opportunity. Helping towards a promotion is the biggest aim and it’d be a massive achievement for everyone involved.”

Head of goalkeeping Rene Gilmartin added: “It’s a no-brainer to extend his contract and he’s a big part of it just like everyone else who is pushing toward the end of the season.

“He’s been really good. You could get a sense straight away that he’s been at a really high level, being involved in teams in the Premier League and in big games.

“Nick Hayes is doing really well with his rehab but it’ll be a few months before he’s back in and Antoni Bort is just coming back from his long rehab due to a knee injury. It’s important that we have good quality goalkeepers to challenge each other and push each other on.

“The environment is huge for the management, the staff and the Club. Having the likes of Joel is important to that and that’s why we want to keep those kind of people. His maturity in the group is welcome and important, and he’s really added to the goalkeeping department."

Coleman, who is yet to make his Blues debut, was released by Rochdale at the end of last season having 21 starts for the Lancastrians during 2021/22, his only campaign at Spotland.

The Bolton-born keeper started his career with Oldham and having made his debut in March 2015 made 44 senior starts and one sub appearance before moving on to Huddersfield Town in 2016.

While with the Terriers, the 6ft 6in tall glovesman made 17 starts and three sub appearances and was on the bench for the 2016/17 Championship play-off final victory over Reading.

Coleman spent the first half of 2018/19 on loan at Shrewsbury, where he made 20 starts.

He joined Fleetwood on a two-year deal in the summer of 2020 but made only two appearances, both in cups, and moved on to Rochdale the following close season.

Photo: ITFC

Bazza8564 added 21:12 - Jan 5 Watched this guy in the GK drills at Wycome, literally a few feet away, OMG he made some good stops. Good to have him here if Hladky moves on too
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