Former Melbourne City gloveman Tom Glover has put aside the disappointment of being overlooked for selection in Australia’s Asian Cup squad by keeping a clean sheet in his club side Middlesbrough’s success against Chelsea in the English League Cup.
Second-tier Boro won 1-0 in the semi-final, first-leg outing at Riverside Stadium, with the teams to meet in the second-leg at Stamford Bridge on January 24 (AEDT).
Glover, who joined Boro last year, had been in contention to be one of the three goalkeepers in the Socceroos’ Asian Cup squad.
However, A-League pair Joe Gauci and Lawrence Thomas were chosen as the deputies for captain and first-choice keeper Mat Ryan.
Glover, 26, has often had to play second fiddle at Boro to Senegal international custodian Seny Dieng.
However, Glover has now made eight successive appearances – seven as a starter and one as a substitute – in all competitions for his club team.
They included a man-of-the-match display in Boro’s 1-0 FA Cup third-round weekend loss to Aston Villa.
“That’s why I came over from Australia, to play in games likes this, to test myself against the best,” Glover said after his side’s FA Cup defeat.
“I’ve got an opportunity now so it’s about taking it with both hands and running with it.”
Boro manager Michael Carrick told Teesside Live: “Tom has certainly done well when he’s played.”
