Former Newcastle United goalkeeper joins Gateshead following Hartlepool United spell
A former Newcastle United goalkeeper has signed an 18-month deal with National League neighbours Gateshead.
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Max Thompson is eager to grasp the opportunity handed to him by Gateshead after agreeing an 18-month deal at the International Stadium.
The Heed are awaiting the green light from the Independent Football Regulator before a takeover from US-based investors Flacks Group can be officially sealed - and they will hope that can trigger an upturn in fortunes on and off the pitch over the coming weeks.
The on-field situation on the south bank of the Tyne is a dismal one after a run of just one win in their first 15 games of the league season left the managerless Heed sitting at the bottom of the National League table and 13 points from safety. Despite the plight his new side find themselves in, former Magpies stopper Thompson, who was an unused substitute in Champions League fixtures against the likes of Barcelona and Benfica, is relishing the chance to impress after putting pen-to-paper ahead of Saturday’s home game with play-off chasing Barrow.
He told the club website: “It’s a different challenge, one I’ve never been part of before. It’s going to be tough but I knew coming into this it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s an opportunity to test myself, to see how I can handle the pressure of it and see what comes out of it.
“It’s a lot easier once you know where you’re going to be for the season, rather than waiting day-by-day for what’s going to happen. It’s definitely nicer, it settles you down and you can get focused with what you have to do rather primarily focusing on myself. I can focus on the team and what we might need rather than what I need.”
Transition
The move comes just weeks after Thompson left Gateshead’s National League rivals Hartlepool United. The 22-year-old penned a short-term deal at Victoria Park and made a handful of appearances in non-league’s top tier before departing. He is now ready to focus on matters at Gateshead rather than his future after joining the Tynesiders until the end of next season.
He added: “It’s good just to get playing again, get settled with a new group and hopefully just kick on really. With everything going on over the past month, it looks like it’s all been cleared up now and it’s going to be a smooth transition for me getting into here. I’m in the building, everything is signed, it’s time to get my head down and crack on with what I can do to help the team. I guess to show what I can do and add to the team any which way I can to hopefully turn results around to primarily stay in the league and whatever else comes from that, even better, we can try and kick on up the league as well.”
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