City Sign Highly-Rated Goalkeeper on Four-Year Deal
Reaction and analysis from AllLincoln as George Wickens arrives on a four year deal.
Photo: Lincoln City FC
Lincoln City have announced the signing of highly-rated goalkeeper George Wickens from Fulham, on a four year deal.
Wickens has risen through the academy ranks at Craven Cottage, and was called up to the England Under-18s squad in 2019. He signed his first professional deal with Fulham at the end of the end of the 2018/19 season. His first taste of senior football came at National League level with Wealdstone, where he played under current Notts County manager Stuart Maynard, who likes to build from the back and use his goalkeeper in possession – something which is evident at times in Michael Skubala’s system.
His next loan was during the second half of last season, spending time with Ross County in the Scottish Premiership. He was a standout performer in Scotland, despite the Staggies struggling and only just surviving relegation.
City have been in need of a goalkeeper since Lukas Jensen departed the club earlier in the month to join Championship side, Millwall, on a permanent deal. Jensen was one of City’s best players throughout the 2023/24 campaign, statistically being the best goalkeeper in the division. One of Jensen’s main attributes was his ability to command his area, and Wickens may be a similar style of goalkeeper, standing at 6′5″.
During his time at Wealdstone, Wickens was described as an ‘eccentric shot stopper that likes to fly across his goal to make saves from all angles’. He is also described as having the physical attributes you’d expect from a ‘high level goalkeeper’ and that he was commanding in his box and is a ‘safe pair of hands from crosses and shots’.
He said: “I’m absolutely buzzing. Lincoln City feels like the right place for me at the next stage of my development.
“You only need to look at the track record of the young goalkeepers the club have brought through in the past few years and how well they’ve gone on to do. A big reason for that is the trust that has been put in them. It’s a massive thing to have the club behind you because it breeds confidence and that’s how you get the best out of a player.”
Head coach Michael Skubala said: “George has all the attributes we look for in a goalkeeper and impressed us with his mentality and maturity in the recruitment and interview process. We feel that George has a really bright future ahead of him and we are excited to sign him ahead of other clubs. George has shown his character with his decision to leave Fulham in order to play regularly and forge his career as a No.1 goalkeeper.”
Director of football Jez George added “To have executed this signing in such a timely manner hopefully evidences our recruitment process and planning. It also demonstrates how our model works by us investing a proportion of the transfer fee received for Lukas into such a talented young goalkeeper with huge potential and future asset value. We have no doubts that George has all the qualities required to positively impact our team immediately as our No.1 goalkeeper and to develop exponentially in our environment.
“As with other positions we have strengthened the overall goalkeeping department this summer and are really excited by all three signings, who fit our player profile for this position and will all only improve. Finally, I would like to thank Fulham and our board for their part in the speed at which we were able to reach a compensation agreement.”
