Lenny Wilson hopes he and Brett Long can make it as difficult as possible for Jim McInally to pick a number one at Peterhead.
Both goalkeepers have split time during the Premier Sports Cup, starting two games each, with McInally likely to keep rotating his stoppers for the time being.
Wilson joined Peterhead in 2019 upon his return to Scotland, after spending time studying in America. For the last two seasons he has been understudy to both Greg Fleming and Josh Rae.
Long is a new arrival at Balmoor, having left East Fife to move north in the summer. He has been in the youth systems at Motherwell and Dundee United and had loan spells at Clyde, Forfar and Elgin City.
“It’s going to be really difficult this year for Jim to pick between the two. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes to keep two happy,” said Wilson.
“Brett coming in has been great. He’s a top guy and we get on, on a personal level. We’re both in a similar sort of stage in our career and both want to play.
“Whoever doesn’t play will be fully respectful and wishing the best for the one that does play.
“Whoever Jim picks, he knows will do the job for him. If we are giving Jim a headache then that’s a good thing, as it means we’re both playing well.
“If that’s the case then so be it as it’s down to how the team performs, it’s not about me and Brett. If he’s in against Alloa and we pick up the points, great. If I go in against Falkirk and we pick up more points, even better.
“It’s going to be a tough decision for the manager and one I wouldn’t want to be making.”
Wilson feels he is in a better position 12 months down the line to be challenging for the number one berth.
He has found it difficult at times being second-choice and thanked McInally for getting a second chance in the team towards the end of last season.
“It has been frustrating,” Wilson added. “If you look back at my career, whatever team I’ve been playing at, whether at youth team or in the States, I’ve always been given the number one shirt. I’ve not had that yet at Peterhead.
“I’m just going to have to play well, whether that’s at home to Alloa or away to Falkirk. I’ve got to be ready and do my best and hopefully we pick up six points out of six.
“Thankfully I got the chance towards the end of last season to prove myself. I got thrown in at the deep end at home to Falkirk, who were top of the league at the time. I really enjoyed it and in those four games I played I showed I can play at that level and help out the team.
“It’s not a job done by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve still got to train well every single session and do my best. It brings out the best in me and Brett, as we know one mistake could be costly for our season individually.”
Roll on next season📝 https://t.co/u550dEkEZI
— Lenny Wilson (@Lenny_Wilson96) May 19, 2021
The Blue Toon open their season at home to newly-promoted Alloa Athletic on Saturday, with Wilson setting the bar high for what they can achieve.
“If you look at the squad and assume everyone is fit, it’s definitely a squad that can compete for the top four,” he said. “We have the quality; we’ve got players who have played at a higher level and younger guys who will go on to do bigger things.
“We’ve got a chance to make the most of it and reach our full potential. The goal has to be play-offs at least.”
