Callum Preston

Callum Preston (born 7 November 1995) is a footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

Callum Preston
Personal information
Full name Callum Preston[1]
Date of birth (1995-11-07) 7 November 1995[2]
Place of birth Stafford, England
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.84 m)[3]
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
– The New Saints
– Liverpool
2008–2014 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Birmingham City 0 (0)
2014 → Worcester City (loan) 1 (0)
2015 → AFC Telford United (loan) 0 (0)
2015–2016 Crawley Town 9 (0)
2016 Altrincham 1 (0)
2016–2017 Stevenage 0 (0)
2017 Wrexham 1 (0)
2019 Aberystwyth Town 0 (0)
National team
2014 Wales U19 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 2019

He turned professional with Birmingham City, and had loan spells with Worcester City and AFC Telford United, but was released in 2015 without appearing for his parent club. He spent the next season with Crawley Town of League Two, for whom he made ten first-team appearances, and had a brief spell with National League North club Altrincham in August 2016.

Although born in Stafford, in England, Preston has represented Wales at under-19 level.

Club career

Preston was born in Stafford, England, but was brought up in Welshpool, Wales, where he attended Welshpool High School[2] and played for the local cricket club.[4] He was on the books of both Liverpool[2] and The New Saints[5] before joining Birmingham City F.C.'s youth academy in 2008.[6] He took up a scholarship in July 2012.[1]

In 2014, he spent a short spell on work experience at Conference North club Worcester City,[7] for whom he played twice, once in the league and once in the Worcestershire Senior Cup, while the club was without all its senior goalkeepers.[8] He signed his first professional contract, of one year with the option of a second, in June 2014.[9] In February 2015, Preston joined Conference Premier club AFC Telford United on a month's loan. He played in the final of the Shropshire Senior Cup, a 3–1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town's youth team,[10] but remained an unused substitute in league matches.[3]

At the end of the 2014–15 season, Birmingham decided against taking up their option for another year on Preston's contract.[11] After a trial, he signed a one-year contract with League Two club Crawley Town.[12] He began the season as second-choice goalkeeper, behind Newcastle United loanee Freddie Woodman, but when Woodman was away on international duty with the England under-19 team, he made his senior Crawley debut in the Football League Trophy. The match, on 6 October 2015, ended as a 3–0 defeat at home to League One visitors Southend United.[13][14] With Woodman still absent, Preston made his Football League debut four days later in a 3–2 home win against Leyton Orient.[15] The same day, Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, so Woodman was recalled by his parent club, leaving Preston as Crawley's only senior goalkeeper.[16][17] Crawley signed the experienced Darryl Flahavan in Woodman's place, so Preston returned to the bench.[18]

Preston returned to the starting eleven for the 2–1 win against Stevenage on 26 December, and kept his place for the next match two days later even though Flahavan's injured ankle had recovered enough for him to be named among the substitutes.[19] After Flahavan took too long deciding whether to accept a contract extension, the club withdrew the offer, and Preston started the match away to Yeovil Town on 23 January 2016.[20][21] At the end of the 2015–16 season, Preston was released by Crawley having made 10 appearances for the Sussex club.[21][22]

On 3 August 2016, Preston joined National League North club Altrincham as competition for Andrew Dawber,[23] but he played only once, in a 6–0 defeat at home to A.F.C. Fylde on 16 August, and was released a few days later.[24] He returned to the Football League in September, when he joined Stevenage of League Two as goalkeeping cover on non-contract terms.[25]

In September 2017, Preston joined Wrexham on non-contract terms as cover for an injury to Chris Dunn.[26]

After taking time out from football to concentrate on his degree in professional sports writing and broadcasting, Preston signed for Aberystwyth Town of the Welsh Premier League in January 2019. After playing one game for Aberystwyth in the Welsh Cup, Preston left the club.[27][28]

International career

Preston made his international debut for Wales under-19s in a friendly against their Montenegrin counterparts in April 2014.[29] He was placed on standby for the elite round European qualifiers in May but was not called upon.[30]

Career statistics
As of match played 12 September 2017
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Birmingham City 2013–14[31] Championship000000—00
2014–15[32] Championship000000—00
Total 000000—00
Worcester City (loan) 2013–14[33] Conference North10——1[lower-alpha 1]020
AFC Telford United (loan) 2014–15[10][3] Conference Premier00——1[lower-alpha 2]010
Crawley Town 2015–16[21] League Two9000001[lower-alpha 3]0100
Altrincham 2016–17[3] National League North10———10
Stevenage 2016–17[34] League Two0000—1[lower-alpha 4]010
Wrexham 2017–18[35] National League 1000—0010
Career total 120000040160
  1. Appearance in Worcestershire Senior Cup
  2. Appearance in Shropshire Senior Cup
  3. Appearance in Football League Trophy
  4. Appearance in EFL Trophy
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References
  1. "List of Players Registered as Scholars in Accordance with Rule C.3 Between 01/07/2012 and 31/07/2012" (PDF). The Football Association. p. 48. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. "Blue kid on the block – Callum Preston". Birmingham City F.C. 4 December 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  3. "C. Preston". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  4. "Player statistics: Welshpool CC: Player Callum Preston". Play-Cricket. England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  5. Football Association of Wales Academy Handbook 2014/15 (PDF). Football Association of Wales. 2014. p. 14. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  6. "Callum Preston joins AFC Telford". Birmingham City F.C. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. "Callum Preston joins Worcester City". Birmingham City F.C. 17 March 2014. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  8. Carley, Steve (25 March 2014). "City fan call for Stockport County visit". Worcester News. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  9. "Pro-deal for Callum Preston". Birmingham City F.C. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  10. "Young Town beat Bucks". Shropshire Star. 4 March 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  11. Tattum, Colin (5 May 2015). "Quartet offered new deals". Birmingham City F.C. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  12. "Crawley Town sign Callum Preston and Freddie Woodman". BBC Sport. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  13. "Reds without Newcastle United keeper for Southend United and Leyton Orient games". Crawley News. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. "Crawley 0–3 Southend". BBC Sport. 6 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  15. "Crawley Town come from behind to beat Leyton Orient". Crawley News. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  16. "Tim Krul out for rest of season due to cruciate injury". Sky Sports. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  17. Owen, Brian (13 October 2015). "Albion will not rush decision on Walton's future". The Argus. Brighton. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  18. "Crawley Town are the come-back kings against Luton Town". Crawley News. 17 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. "Team news: Preston starts ahead of Flahavan at Wycombe Wanderers". Crawley News. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  20. Carter, Graham (21 January 2016). "Darryl Flahavan leaves Crawley Town". Mid-Sussex Times. Horsham. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  21. "Games played by Callum Preston in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  22. Talbot, Bruce (10 May 2016). "Crawley Town release five players". Crawley Town F.C. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  23. "Youngs adds to keeper options". The National League. 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  24. Edwards, John (26 August 2016). "Young looks to strengthen after Preston release". Sale & Altrincham Messenger. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  25. Hemmings, Mark (22 September 2016). "Ex-Birmingham City youngster joins Stevenage after injury to Chris Day". The Comet. Stevenage. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  26. Griffiths, Rob (2 September 2017). "Wrexham sign goalkeeper Callum Preston as emergency cover". Daily Post. Wrexham. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
  27. Griffiths, Rob (5 June 2018). "How former Wrexham AFC goalkeeper is planning for a life after football – at just 22". Daily Post. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  28. "Black and Greens sign Wales Under 19s keeper Callum Preston". Aberystwyth Town F.C. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  29. "Men U.19 v Montenegro – Game 2 Drawn". Football Association of Wales. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  30. "Wales Under 19". Dragon Soccer. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  31. "Games played by Callum Preston in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  32. "Games played by Callum Preston in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  33. "Worcester City FC – The Team: Callum Preston". Worcester City F.C. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  34. "Games played by Callum Preston in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  35. "Games played by Callum Preston in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
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