By Sam Stone

28th Apr, 2022 | 2:30pm

Manchester City keeper Gavin Bazunu will 'remember this season forever' after excellent Portsmouth loan

Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has paid credit to Portsmouth for aiding his development in what has been a breakthrough season for the Ireland international during his loan at Fratton Park.

Bazunu, 20, has been an everpresent in the Portsmouth net and currently has 16 League One clean sheets.

Bazunu told the Portsmouth News of how important this loan spell has been.

He said: “I don’t feel I could’ve got this experience anywhere else, to be honest.

“The experience I’ve gained, I’ve nearly played 50 games in the last nine months at the club and international level,” said Bazunu.

The Ireland international was also thankful to both Danny and Nicky Cowley for their belief in him: “Danny and Nicky have given me such responsibility in the way I play and have allowed me to express myself.

“That’s been so important for my development.”

Player of the season

The Manchester City and Ireland international has earned accolades for his brilliant shot-stopping, reflexes and distribution.

Yet, this was not enough for Bazunu to make it into the League One team of the season.

Plymouth’s homegrown keeper Michael Cooper was instead included in the Team of the season.

Plymouth themselves have enjoyed a far better season than Pompey, but considering Bazunu is Ireland’s number one and looks set for a Premier League or Championship loan, his exclusion potentially needs some explaining.

This is a view shared by Pompey boss Danny Cowley, he told the Portsmouth News: “Significantly, it’s not even close [between Ba`zunu and Cooper]

“For me, he will go and become a world-class goalkeeper.”

It is hard to disagree with Cowley, with many City fans calling for him to be Ederson’s understudy, international experience and rumours of a move to the Championship, whoever did pick the League One team of the season probably needs to go to more matches.

In other Manchester City news, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Manchester City are in the race to sign River Plate star Enzo Fernandez