The Cardiff City star opens up about the Newcastle-Sunderland rivalry and calls it “brilliant” as he claims he enjoyed the taunting from Swansea City. Loanee of Arsenal
Former Newcastle player and current Cardiff City goalkeeper Jak Alnwick travels to the north this weekend to face Sunderland, one of the Magpies’ fiercest rivals.
This season, the Cardiff City team has seen a number of individual success stories, and Jak Alnwick’s is right up there.
He was hired in the summer of 2022 after leaving St. Mirren, and he spent the previous campaign serving as Ryan Allsop’s backup at Cardiff. He had to be patient and bide his time, and when he was given the chance, Cardiff’s defense slipped, allowing goals to be scored.
The goalie situation was quite uncertain before the season started. There had been far too many errors by Allsop, and Alnwick’s fate remained uncertain. It was rumored that Cardiff was interested in acquiring a different goalkeeper, so it’s unclear where Alnwick would have fit in.
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But it’s fair to say that he has seized his opportunity wholeheartedly. Fans have praised his ability to control his box, make significant saves, and feel at ease with the ball at his feet as a result of his fantastic start to the season. It has been an exciting week for him personally as well. After helping the team upset Swansea in the local derby last weekend, the goalkeeper received a contract extension that would keep him with the team through 2025.
Then, he outperformed Coventry City, making a crucial late save low down against Kasey Palmer. As a result, he has managed to surpass Alex Runarsson, the summer loan signing from Arsenal. To
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Fans have fallen in love with Alnwick. And it’s not just for what he did with the gloves; a video of him jeering Swansea supporters after the final whistle on Saturday has gone viral among Bluebirds supporters, further strengthening his bond with the Cardiff faithful. After losing the previous four local derbies in a row, Alnwick was seen last Saturday night clutching his ears in front of the visiting fans. The player acknowledged that he wasn’t going to let that chance pass.
And, having come through at Newcastle as a kid, he heads up north this Sunday to take on the Magpies’ bitter rivals in Sunderland. He hopes it represents the opportunity to come away with yet more bragging rights in what will no doubt be viewed as a derby for him and his family.
“It’s a tough one. We have seen them celebrate a lot, Swansea, over the last couple of years – when you win derbies like that you’ve got to enjoy it,” Alnwick said. “At the end of the day, there is a rivalry. Last season they had 30 people running across the pitch in front of our fans – so, I thought I’d had a bit of fun as well!
“And going up to Sunderland, I’ve played a couple of times there since I’ve left Newcastle, each game, it doesn’t matter who I play against, I’m fully focussed, it doesn’t matter about the opponent.
“Me and my brother were both there as kids, we came through the academy, but I went over to Newcastle. If you get too involved in those sort of games, it can have a reverse effect. If I can make saves for the team then it will be the same thing, three points and that’s what we are going for.
“I went from Sunderland to Newcastle when I was 15, it was more because it was closer to my family home and it was a bit of a trek. My dad was working long hours and having to take me over to Sunderland, it was more of a family decision, to be honest! The full family is Newcastle!”
Cardiff fans could be forgiven for thinking that Runarsson was coming in to displace Alnwick. After all, who signs an international-level goalkeeper from Arsenal on loan and tells him to sit on the bench? But, credit to Alnwick, he has warranted his place in the side.
Runarsson was brought in for the Carabao Cup game against Birmingham City and played well, while he had mixed results when he took the gloves from Alnwick in the clash against Ipswich Town, which the Bluebirds lost 3-2 after the Tractor Boys’ late turnaround.
But Alnwick appreciates he has stiff competition if he wants to keep his place in the starting lineup and knows Runarsson is also a quality operator. He needs to be at his best with the Iceland international snapping at his heels for an opportunity.
“He’s been brilliant,” Alnwick said of Runarsson. “Alex didn’t play in pre-season at Arsenal and then he has come in and been brilliant. He’s done well. He’s been away on international duty and I know he had a good game during his last international game.
“It’s been brilliant, it’s competition and that’s what we need. It pushes me and then I know what I need to do to stay in the team. He has been in the team and he knows what he has to do.
“It’s something you need at all football clubs, because if you get it easy and there’s not someone pushing you then sometimes you can take your foot off the gas a little bit.”
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Alnwick new contract was one of a recent spate of deals which have been handed out to City players, all of which have been deserved. Ryan Wintle, Perry Ng, Mark McGuinness, Eli King, Joel Bagan and the Colwill brothers have all benefited from the forward planning which has been evidence since Erol Bulut took the reins.
