Scout Report: George Wickens, Goalkeeper for Wealdstone
Analysis of the Acrobatic Keeper on Loan from Fulham U21, currently at Ross County & played for Wealdstone
FIXTURE WATCHED: Dagenham & Redbridge vs Wealdstone
COMPETITION: National League
SCORE: 2–2
DATE: 04/09/21
PLAYER: George Wickens
CLUB: Wealdstone
AGE: 22 (November 08, 2001)
HEIGHT: 1.98m
NATIONALITY: English
POSITION: Goalkeeper
CONTRACT EXP: May 31st 2024
LEADING FOOT: Right
Lineup
TECHNICAL — 6.5/10
- Displayed fantastic reflex saves when making acrobatic diving saves. Made a very impressive save to claw the ball back on the line from a cross that wrong footed him to deny a goal (6:52)
- Dives well from long shots and manages to parry the ball away from dangerous areas when long shots are made. Manages to stay in the air to make acrobatic saves
- Great kicking distance from his goal kicks and accurately targeting his wider attackers for the flick on. Long goal kick led to Wealdstone’s first goal of the match
- Very commanding in his box, coming out to bravely claim crosses and catching the ball when he was able to
- Keeps possession of the ball well when handling & catching the ball in the air and from low driven shots. Good shot stopper from a variety of high & low shots he faced
- When necessary, punches the ball with good distance away from danger, especially from crosses/corners. Overall good at diverting the ball away from danger when its not possible or safe to attempt to catch the ball — good decision making
- Likes to distribute the ball quickly when the ball is in his hands, looks to turn defence into counter attacks with kicks up field.
- To add from the last point… distribution can sometimes lack quality when rushing to start counter attacks from his hands
- Kicking from back passes was not as effective as his goal kicks, often lacking the height to clear opposing players — doesn’t look comfortable with the ball at his feet from back passes
- Could have done better with conceding the first goal as he was not aggressive enough to close the attacking player down from a tight angle — the ball ended up going through his legs
TACTICAL — 6/10
- Positions himself off his line for most of the match, when Wealdstone were in and out of possession (12:15) shows his starting position far off his line when opponents were attacking
- Starts off his line from corners and then quickly gets back on to his line when the ball is swung in — positioned well to either catch the ball or punch away from danger if it came in his area
- Really good positional awareness of his goal and closing angles when opposition were in dangerous attacking areas. Got across his line quickly to cover areas of the goal which were exposed from crosses and attacking passes
- Anticipates the ball well with low body positions, making sure he can focus on the ball amongst a crowd of players
- Good positioning off his line and the awareness to anticipate balls over the top of the defensive line. In one instance, played sweeper keeper role well with a 1V1 over the top and displayed great bravery to head the ball from the incoming attacking player (40:59) — good decision making in pressured scenarios
- Instructs his defensive line well when being exposed to attacks, making sure they’re all in the correct positions and making them aware of potential attacking runs. Good organisation from defending corners as well, making sure the right players are picking up their men and the posts
- Doesn’t make the angle for his teammates to play the ball back to him and becoming an extra ball playing defender in that defensive line — that tells me he isn’t confident with the ball at his feet?
- Poor judgement when conceding the 2nd goal, although not helped by the defender that had lost his man. Wickens could have claimed the ball in the air but stuttered and was left out of position, simple tap in from 4 yards out that went through his legs
MENTAL — 7/10
- Displayed good concentration throughout the game when called upon and seemed like a reliable goalkeeper when facing attacks from the opposition
- Communicates well with his defensive line during the game, making sure everyone is focused on the task at hand and making sure the defensive unit is organised from set-pieces and defending the attacks
- Showed really good bravery on a few occasions, especially from crosses and smothering loose balls in the penalty box amongst a crowd of players
- Made a mistake my spilling the ball from a cross but made up for with a great recovery, bravely reaching for the ball on the ground from the attackers’ feet — outcome was a foul to Wickens (18min into 2nd half)
- Organises the team well when defending attacks and set-pieces, delegates his players to best take on defensive duties
- Not aggressive enough to close down the attacker from a tight angle when conceding the 1st goal
- Rare lack of concentration when conceding the 2nd goal as he committed to coming out for the cross but then changed his mind and ended up being out of position to save the easy finish from the attacker
- Doesn’t look confident with the ball at his feet from back passes, poor distribution
PHYSICAL — 8/10
- Tall in stature and a great presence in the box with fantastic agility and reflexes displayed when called upon to make a range of acrobatic diving saves
- Good reactions when making saves and claiming the second ball when the save is made and the ball becomes loose in the box
- Quick to get down to save low driven shots but also to smother loose balls, proving to be brave by jumping at the players feet to retrieve the ball before the shot is made
- Strong under pressure when claiming ariel balls from crosses, whilst attackers are also challenging for the ball
- Showed quick feet to adjust his body and positioning to cover areas of the goal when the ball was being moved across the box/field of play
My Overall Conclusion — 7/10
George Wickens displayed good reflexes and agility when called upon, proving to be an eccentric shot stopper that likes to fly across his goal to make saves from all angles. He has the physical attributes that you’d expect from a high-level goalkeeper, proving very strong in commanding his box and being a safe pair of hands from crosses and shots. His positioning is also good, quick feet to allow him to move around his box, helping him be in better positions to make the saves.
He showed great decision making overall and a dependable player in goal, which main goal is to effectively keep the ball out of the net. He pulled off an amazing save in the first 6 minutes which gave him confidence throughout the rest of the game, I believe he’s a good shot stopper and his agility certainly helps him with this.
Where George Wickens can certainly improve in today’s modern game, is the ability to be effective when the ball is at his feet. For a goalkeeper that plays off his line as much as he does, I think if he could improve his ball playing ability, it would really take him to the next level.
Overall, I think he’s a good keeper that would need to be analysed further, but from what I’ve seen, these abilities can be nurtured to improve himself, whilst already having great natural physical attributes.
George Wickens is currently on loan at Ross Country from Fulham U21’s (moved in January 2024) where he made 3 appearances, conceded 2 and made 2 clean sheets during Premier League 2 fixtures. Whilst currently at Ross Country, he has made 12 appearances and conceded 25 goals, yet to claim a clean sheet.
Current Level & Potential
His current level in my opinion is playing for a top 6 League One team. Although I see great potential in George Wickens due to his physical attributes and I believe he could play for a top 6 Championship team.
