Lewis Dutton in goal against The New Saints (Photo credit Brian Jones)
Lewis Dutton is one of the best goalkeepers in Welsh football and is set to go up to the JD Cymru Premier with Airbus UK Broughton next season.
The 20-year-old signed for Steve O’Shaughnessy’s Wingmakers last summer after most recently being on loan to Whitchurch Alport from Chorley and is now the no.1 keeper for the Wingmakers.
However, growing up as a young boy down the road from Flintshire in the county of Wrexham Dutton hated football.
“I just couldn’t stand football at all, couldn’t get my head round it and couldn’t be interested in it, I watched my brother on a Saturday and just hated it,” said the Airbus keeper.
One day was soon about to change all of Dutton’s feelings about the beautiful game as he goes on to explain.
“One of the coaches that my dad knows at Garden village which is a local football team to me approached him
“There was a tournament going on in Gresford and the coach said to my Dad ‘do you fancy bringing Lewis?
“The coach said ‘there is no other position, but he can go in goal if he wants.”
It was from that moment where Dutton fell in love with football.
“They stuck me in goal, and I loved every second of it.
“It was brilliant, such a good laugh.
“I Loved that good side of football, did not really enjoyed football at my feet I prefer to be diving round, getting muddy and mum having a go at me for going in the car with dirty feet.
“That’s where it started at under ten’s and didn’t look back since then, loved every second of it and I have carried on.”
Since that day, Dutton went on to be based at The New Saints where the young keeper picked up valuable experience amongst the best in the Welsh domestic game in Wales.
Dutton was brought in to the first team at just 16 years of age where he was third choice as he goes on to explain.
“Graham Hewitt, my goalkeeping coach brought me in with the first team at 16 and I signed pro at 18 and was third choice behind Connor (Roberts) and H (Paul Harrison).
“I was taken by with Steve Evans and Scott Ruscoe.
“It was a really good experience behind two great goalkeepers.
“It was more of experience from Paul Harrison where I could watch his games, he has got so much experience in the Welsh Premier League.
“He has played so many matches, he is so steady, and the lads knew what they were getting from him every single game.
“Connor also, another goalkeeper, shot stopping wise he is good, so there were two very good goalkeepers that I learned a lot from.”
Dutton wasn’t getting game time for the most successful team in Wales’ domestic game and so a move to Chorley came around.
Yet another hurdle was hit as Dutton was held to being a replacement keeper once more.
“The gaffer at Chorley said, ‘you are doing really well at training, but it is about doing it in games.
“I couldn’t get in at Chorley because Matt Irwin was there at the time in the exact position as H at TNS.”
Dutton did get to play a couple of times in the FA Trophy and in friendlies but was put back to playing with other people who were not getting game time for the first team.
“We played a game on a Monday for the lads that didn’t get in, so we came up against the likes of Everton U23’S and Fleetwood, it was good opposition.
“It was not so much men’s football but more to what I was used to.”
The moment came where the first team manager at Chorley, Jamie Vermigilio felt it was right for Dutton to go out on loan and get regular first team senior football.
The gaffer at Chorley said, ‘you are doing really well at training, but it is about doing it in games.”
A loan move out to Whitchurch Alport awaited in the Midland League Premier Division where Dutton was first choice keeper.
For the first time in his career, Dutton was able to get regular first team senior football.
“It was good at Whitchurch; it was a 20-minute drive down the road instead of going an hour and a half which was nice.
“Every week I was no.1.
“It is a completely different mindset.
“It was good there, unfortunately Covid hit, and that league got finished early which was a shame.”
Everything in the World was put on hold during the Covid-19 pandemic, including Dutton’s progress in his career.
Opportunities rose up last year as leagues across Wales below the Cymru Premier got ready to start back up for the first time in over a season.
Airbus came enquiring about Dutton, including clubs in the top flight, nevertheless it was the Wingmakers that was the proposition which attracted Dutton.
“I got a few texts from clubs in the Welsh Prem to go back, but Airbus stuck out because I spoke to Shosh (Steve O’Shaughnessy) on the phone and text me to come in.
“He rang me up and asked me what I was doing next year,” added Dutton
“ I spoke to my old man who has been there every step of the way.
“I just wanted to play football.
“Airbus could push me; I wasn’t going to be guaranteed that.
"I was told staright away that 'you weren’t guaranteed to play every single minute of every single game.’
Dutton went up to the Hollingsworth Group Stadium for a training session for head coach O’Shaughnessy to see what Dutton was like.
“I came down to training and he was impressed and asked if I wanted to come down again.
“They had another look and within one week I signed them.”
O' Shaughnessy describes Dutton as player constantly eager acquire knowledge saying "Lewis has had a good up bringing and is eager to learn all the time his attitude is first class and will get better and better the more he plays"
The facilities were a big pull for Dutton to join Bus as he explains.
“I remember being on the bench and playing against them for TNS, I know how big Airbus was and knew how much potentially it was for them to go back up, so it was a no brainer.
“It is definitely a huge catch with a lot of players being on a 3G surface every week.”
Airbus are on the verge of winning the Cymru North and promotion in to the Premier, with a victory over closest rivals Llandudno set to be enough.
Dutton see’s this as a definite for the short term and has faith that this will be achieved in the nearby future.
Lewis Dutton in action for Airbus against Prestatyn Town at Bastion Gardens (image by John Pickles)
“Every week I have turned up and been selected for no.1.
“My aim is now to get as many minutes as I can and get in to the Cymru Prem.
“If you would have said to me at the start of the season, ‘do you see yourself going up?
“I would have agreed and said I do see ourselves going up.
“With the calibre of players there at Airbus, it is such a good group of lads and standard for the league.
“It is definitely going to the right direction, as a club and it is only going to get better.”
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