Fulham goalkeeper on loan at Crawley Town wants to prove himself at League Two level

Luca Ashby-Hammond is a young goalkeeper who has arrived on a season-long loan from Fulham FC. He spent last season on loan at Aldershot in the National League. “Last year at Aldershot was really good, I played loads of games which exposed me to men’s football. It was Tuesday and Saturday, 50-odd games,” said. “It prepared me a lot for this step up and I should easily transition.

“It’s a step up for me, in terms of coming into this league. So I’m very excited to get going and prove myself at this level.”

While at Aldershot, Ashby-Hammond coincidentally faced the Reds in a friendly. “We played them (Crawley Town) last year in pre-season, the style of play was really good,” he said.

The 22-year-old ‘keeper spent time in England’s youth set up, his most successful stint being the u17 Euros in 2018. England reached the Semi-Final, being bested by the Netherlands, who went on to win the tournament. Ashby-Hammond found himself in the team of the tournament.

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Ashby-Hammond has watched a lot of League Two football before signing with Crawley. His brother, Taye, is a fellow goalkeeper who plays for Stevenage, so he spent last season in League Two: He said: “I watched my brother play in the same league last year, I always watched the teams and Crawley always play a good style of football.

“It’s all we talk about! I watch his games; he watches my games. So, I can see the level when I go and watch him and what I need to do to step up.”

Ashby-Hammond will be hoping to displace Corey Addai in the Red’s net, which is easier said than done. After a few days training with the Reds, Luca said: “It’s really good, especially in the goalie-department, the standard is really high. We both keep each other on our toes, Corey and I.” He added: “We did a good session today and long may it continue.”