There was certainly very little to suggest that Benitez had been right to label him as the best goalkeeper of his age. A quote made all the more suspicious not simply because Benitez isn’t one that easily spreads out praise like that but also as it was Bouzanis’ agent who relayed it.

Then again, it is probably too much to expect a seventeen year old to move from the other side of the world and easily slot in as if nothing had happened. Indeed, with the passing of months he seemed to gain in confidence and performances improved as a result.

Initially it was his reflexes and ability to pull off exceptional saves that stood out. Then it was his distribution, the speed and accuracy with which he releases the ball. Finally it was his handling of crosses, the ultimate metric with which a goalkeepers’ ability is managed.

In truth, he needs to work on this latter aspect before he can think of anything else. Given the physical nature of senior football, he will have to learn to be more aggressive and determined when coming out to catch the ball. That is even more critical seeing that by looking at his stature it is easy to determine that he isn’t the biggest player on the pitch.

Even so the progress that he has shown so far and the current level that he is playing it are enough to prove his potential. And clearly people within the club agree with rumours coming out that he has been offered an extended contract.

For now those remain simply rumours but what is certain is that, with both Peter Gulacsi and David Martin now away on loan, Bouzanis will be unchallenged as reserve team keeper. A situation that will ensure more games for him which in turn will clearly help him progress. Labeling him the best young keeper around would probably be too biased a comment, yet he’s certainly good enough to keep on progressing.