Jamie Sneddon starting to find his voice as Partick Thistle’s No.1 goalkeeper after scooping October Player of the Month award

The Jags shot-stopper has kept three consecutive clean sheets ahead of today’s trip to Rugby Park
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Partick Thistle goalkeeper Jamie Sneddon reckons he is starting to find his voice as the club’s No.1 as he looks to secure a fourth clean sheet on the bounce this afternoon.

The 24-year-old former Hearts youth has started the Jags last 11 games in a row, his longest stint between the sticks since joining the club in the summer of 2017 from Cowdenbeath.

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Sneddon insists he is maturing with every match but insists his impressive hat-trick of shutouts over the past month has been down to having a settled Thistle defensive line in front of him.

“Obviously since I joined Thistle it has been a bit stop start and in and out of the team over the years,” said Sneddon, speaking after winning the fans’ vote to be named Thistle’s McCrea Financial Services Player of the Month award for October.

“I feel like I am finally getting a good run of games and getting into a good rhythm now. I’m starting to really show what I can do and feeling more confident week on week.

“We’ve had a lot of clean sheets last month but that has been down to the whole team, not just me, so I think we’ve all played our part.

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“In some games I’ve been quieter, other games like last Saturday (against Dunfermline), the fact I saved the penalty has probably helped me out there.

“I feel like I have done my bit in clean sheets we’ve got but so have the defence. I think the two lads in front of me, Lewis (Mayo) and Tunji (Akinola), they’ve been brilliant as well.

Jamie Sneddon will look to make it four clean sheets on the bounce against Kilmarnock Jamie Sneddon will look to make it four clean sheets on the bounce against Kilmarnock
Jamie Sneddon will look to make it four clean sheets on the bounce against Kilmarnock

“We’re all about the same age so we’re all quite young, especially for defenders and goalkeepers.

“Either side of them you’ve got Fozzy and Kevin Holt who are both so experienced in the Scottish game so I think that complements the young centre-backs ideally.

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“The maturity we’re showing over a period of time now has been really good and long may that continue and hopefully we keep that stable defence going.

“We all get on really well and it is starting to click on the pitch as well so that is really promising.

“Every Saturday I play at Firhill I get backed by the fans to the hilt. They’ve never let me down so far, they’re always right behind me as well.

“I’ve not actually had many physical awards like that, I got the man of the match one on Saturday as well so that is sitting in my cupboard at home just now.

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“It’s nice to get recognized for your hard work and hopefully I can build up a few more of them over the coming months.”

Sneddon has grown in confidence since his teenage days at Tynecastle and coming face to face with boyhood hero Craig Gordon.

He believes having that solid grounding with the Jambos and benefitting from dropping down the division following his release has helped him massively in the long run.

“It’s something that comes with age, Sneddon added. “I’ve never been the loudest off the pitch so it’s not something that comes naturally to me like maybe some keepers.

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“But it’s about just making sure your defenders can hear you and hear the right things as well, making sure you’re not just shouting any rubbish but communicating clearly what they need to hear.

“I worked with some really good goalie coaches at Hearts, my last was Alan Combe who brought me on leaps and bounds in my final year.

“I was absolutely gutted to get released by Hearts as they were my boyhood club, I wanted to go full-time there but I ended up at Cowdenbeath.

“Looking back, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me in terms of going down a few levels and then being in that first-team environment for so many years at such a young age, managing to get some games under my belt.

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Recalling his first interaction with Scotland international keeper Gordon, he stated: “Craig was my hero growing up but he was long gone by the time I was in and around the first team that year.

“He actually came back just to train, I think he was coming back from my one of his bad injuries, but I was out injured at the time, so I was absolutely gutted.

Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

“We were getting strips signed for fans, so the young boys had to go about getting the first-team players to sign them.

“I was doing my duties as a young boy and walking past him in the corridor getting that done, I crapped it and didn’t really say anything to him.

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“He was signing it, I was about to say something but I just held my tongue. I was too shy as a wee 17-year-old boy to say, ‘Aw you’re my hero by the way.’”

“I regret not saying anything to him now but I played against him last year and that was a good experience.”

Sneddon will come up against his former Tynecastle team-mate Oli Shaw this afternoon when Partick make the short journey down the M77 to face Scottish Championship leaders Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Sneddon admitted: “Oli has been on fire so far this year.

“I saved that penalty from him at Firhill and then 10 minutes later he volleyed one into the top corner against me so he got the last laugh that day.

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“Hopefully I can get the last laugh on Saturday but you never know.

“He’s a good player, I played with him at Hearts when I was younger so I know him as well. It is good to see him doing so well, but hopefully he has an off-day on Saturday.”

*Partick Thistle’s Player of the Month Awards for season 2021/22 are proudly sponsored by McCrea Financial Services - visit www.mccreafs.co.uk to find out more

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