Lloyd Thomas

Lloyd Thomas is an experienced goalkeeper having been the No.1 at several clubs in the Wessex League and at Step 3 level. He started off as AFC Portchester’s first-choice keeper as an 18-year-old, remaining with the Royals for 18 months and winning the Wessex League Cup in 2014/15, before moving on to Blackfield & Langley, where he played under former AFC Totton manager Glenn Howes.

Two seasons with Andover Town followed, before the 6’4” shot-stopper moved to Horndean, where he played alongside another ex-Totton manager Dan Sackman, and current Stags striker Shaquille Gwengwe. He then joined Weymouth, with whom he won the Southern League Premier Division in 2018-19, though predominantly as the back-up goalkeeper. Ex-Stag Jordan Ngalo was among his Terras teammates and the pair remain good friends.

After two seasons of non-league football were disrupted by the COVID pandemic, Thomas signed for the South London-based Isthmian Premier Division side Carshalton Athletic. He made 50 appearances for the Robins in all competitions last season, keeping 13 clean sheets as he helped them to a mid-table finish. But Thomas, who lives in Portchester, found the travelling to be too much and welcomed the opportunity to move to a club closer to home.

As a Portsmouth fan, Thomas used to get to Fratton Park early on matchdays so he could watch his idol David James warming up. Thomas describes the former England No.1 as the best goalkeeper he’s ever seen play live, and has incorporated much of James’s pre-game routine into his own preparations.