GOALKEEPER Nick Eyre is set to leave St Albans on loan for the remainder of the season after losing his number one jersey to Paul Bastock last weekend. Former St Albans City boss Ritchie Hanlon is believed to have lined up a deal for Eyre, who came throug

GOALKEEPER Nick Eyre is set to leave St Albans on loan for the remainder of the season after losing his number one jersey to Paul Bastock last weekend.

Former St Albans City boss Ritchie Hanlon is believed to have lined up a deal for Eyre, who came through the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur, to join a Blue Square Premier club.

Eyre looked a certainty for the St Albans City Player of the Year award after a string of impressive displays in the early months of the campaign, but his form dipped alarmingly as the club fell into crisis following the axing of boss Hanlon and then his replacement Dave Anderson.

Saints could demand a fee for the player in the summer under the Bosman ruling as he is under the age of 24.

Boss Steve Castle is happy for Eyre to move on after bringing City favourite Paul Bastock back from Rushden & Diamonds last week. Castle said: "I have nothing against Nick Eyre but one thing I have found out about the football team is that they are a very quiet bunch of lads and it seems they have not got the most amount of experience. That completely changed on Saturday with the back four. No disrespect but my concern is not with Nick Eyre now, my concerns are with the present bunch of players."

Castle, however, did offer Eyre encouragement for his future career and believes that the talented young goalkeeper will prove his quality. The City manager said: "Nick Eyre will be another Paul Bastock in time. He is only a young lad and in the position we are in we need that finished article. Nick wants first team football and he made his intentions clear that if we got relegated he would be leaving the club."

Bastock made an immediate impression as Saints swept to a 3-0 success at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday and Castle praised the veteran 'keeper. He said: "Paul Bastock is a very experienced goalkeeper and has been successful with numerous clubs as well as St Albans. I hope that he keeps the clean sheets we need. The lads were thanking him for keeping them on their toes after the game on Saturday. You only get that from experience.