New Zealand-born goalkeeper Nik Tzanev is earning praise for an outstanding start to the UK season in which he’s kept three clean sheets in a row for League Two club AFC Wimbledon.
The one-cap New Zealand international produced several key saves in his side’s 0-0 draw at Hartlepool United on Saturday (August 6).
Tzanev (25) told AFC Wimbledon’s website: “I was happy to contribute to the team as always, and also it was a really good team performance to get that clean sheet.
“It’s a tough place to come. I think the boys dug in really hard, it’s just that the pitch was a little bit sticky what with the dryness and we couldn’t get our crisp passing in, as we usually do. But to come away with a clean sheet — we’re all happy.”
The 6′ 5″ ‘keeper was selected for the All Whites friendlies against Curaçao and Bahrain last October.
The following video includes a post-match interview with Tzanev, and his best saves from the match:
In his past three games, Tzanev has produced shutouts in a pre-season friendly against League One Oxford United, against Gillingham and now Hartlepool United.
Main photo: Nik Tzanev … Wimbledon’s first-choice ‘keeper. Image source: AFC Wimbledon.
Tzanev’s career
Tzanez was born in Wellington but moved to Auckland when he was three. He moved to England in 2006, as a 9-year-old, and trained with Chelsea before joining the youth academy at Crystal Palace.
Youth career: Crystal Palace, Brentford
Senior career: Brentford, Lewes (loan), AFC Wimbledon, Potters Bay (loan), Sutton United (loan)
NZ U-20 team (3 caps); All Whites (1 cap)
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