BURNLEY have emerged as an alternative destination should Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton decide to send goalkeeper Fraser Forster on loan again next season. The 22-year-old from Hexham is highly rated at St James’ Park and spent last season playing League One football to gain experience. He began the campaign at Bristol Rovers, but spent most of it with eventual champions Norwich City. All parties were delighted with the arrangement, Forster getting the regular football he and Newcastle were hoping for, and the Canaries pleased with a level of performance which saw Forster claim the division’s award for the most clean sheets and the player’s player of the year prize at Carrow Road. The plan was for Forster to return to Tyneside for next season but the player admitted to The Journal he would find it hard to go back to reserve-team football after 46 senior games in the campaign just gone. With Forster and Tim Krul both at critical stages of their development, the feeling is that Newcastle may have to send one back out on loan again next season for their own good. Having been made to wait so long to become United’s first choice and done so well once given the opportunity by Shay Given’s sale to Manchester City, it will be hard for either youngster to dislodge Steve Harper in the short term, though one will be required to provide cover from the bench, as Krul did last term. But the club see Krul and Forster as potential future number ones and would not like to lose either permanently. It will require careful handling to ward off their frustration, however. “Keeping goalkeepers happy is always a difficult one because it’s a position you tend not to change very often,” Hughton admitted. “But it’s a good problem to have because we have two very good young goalkeepers in Fraser Forster and Tim Krul. “Certainly a lot of clubs would like to be in the position we’re in. “Whether I should send Fraser or Tim out on loan next season is one of the decisions I have to make. They’re the normal decisions for a manager to have. “Fraser’s had a wonderful season at Norwich and gained great experience along the way, while Tim played very well for us in the last week of the season.” With 19-year-old Swede Ole Soderberg also on their books and release clauses allowed in Football League loan agreements, Newcastle could allow one of the youngsters out to play football with the peace of mind they have a capable candidate to fill their bench at short notice if Harper or his deputy became injured. Norwich have already made clear they would love Forster back – while if Krul is sent out instead they would gladly take the Holland Under-21 international as an alternative. But Burnley manager Brian Laws is thought to have offered Turf Moor as an alternative. Having been two divisions apart last season, Burnley and Norwich will both be in next season’s Championship, so can offer the same standard of football. But whereas Norwich can safely guarantee Forster will continue as their first choice, Burnley cannot – that could count against them. Despite a mixed debut Premier League campaign, hugely popular first choice Brian Jensen signed a new two-year contract and can expect to be between the posts in the Championship this season. Forster’s role would be to keep the 34-year-old Dane on his toes, replacing Nicky Weaver who was released when his short-term contract expired at the end of the season. Krul, who made eight first-team appearances for the Magpies last term, has also benefited from loan experience in the past. He spent the first half of 2007-08 with then-Scottish Premier League side Falkirk, and played nine League One games for Carlisle in 2008-09. | 
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