Swindon Town have completed the signing of Norwich City goalkeeper Dan Barden on a season-long loan to provide competition in the goalkeeper position.
The towering 23-year-old came through the ranks at Arsenal before switching to Carrow Road where he has progressed into senior football and made two appearances for their first team in the Championship.
Barden has also had loan spells with Livingston and Maidstone United as he has looked to gain more experience before now searching for more regular EFL playing time as he comes in to rival Jack Bycroft.
ChairsHowever, the goalkeeper has also been through some difficult times in recent years, having battled testicular cancer in 2021, but he has since undergone treatment and has returned to playing.
Barden said: “I think it is really important [for me to get an EFL loan spell], I have missed a lot of football in the last year or so through injury and stuff and so it is really important for me to get out and try and get in the league, play games, and show what I can do.
“I have played under-23s football in the last year or so coming back from injury and also in the National League.
“Men’s football is where I want to be playing and it is important to be involved in league football.
“The moved happened quite quickly, I have been training at Norwich for the last few weeks seeing what loan moves were available and Swindon came in, so I have come down and I am really excited to be here.”
Barden had a run in the National League under George Elokobi at Maidstone and he feels that experience has prepared him well for this move.
He said: “That was my first time back with men’s football after my treatment and I knew what I was going into and it was tough because we were down there but as a goalkeeper it was really educational.
“We were under pressure a lot in games and I was busy, if anything for a goalkeeper it is not a bad thing when you have a lot to do.
“It is important for goalkeepers to experience that type of football, especially in the National League where every team has a long throw, good crossing, and there are some really good players at that level.
“It was something that I enjoyed as well as being a really big learning experience for me.”
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