Earlier this month, our 2023 FA Youth Cup-winning goalkeeper Mason Terry celebrated reaching 100 senior games as Braintree Town hosted Tamworth in the Enterprise National League.
The young shot stopper, who has since featured in a 2-0 defeat at Rochdale on Saturday, is currently enjoying his third senior loan spell with Essex outfit Braintree Town in the English fifth tier.
"The three loans I’ve had at Concord Rangers, Hornchurch and currently Braintree have all been really good experiences," reflected Terry, who will be celebrating his 21st birthday next week. "I’ve learnt a lot from being around a men’s environment on and off the pitch.
"It was a proud achievement for myself to reach 100 senior men's games across the last three seasons, and I’ve always had the mindset and vision to go out and play men’s football to gain experience."
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of England internationals Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope, who also made a name for themselves in non-league before making it in the Premier League, Terry has become a fan favourite at each of the three non-league outfits he has represented.
He continued: “When I look at English goalkeepers like Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale, Dean Henderson and Ben Hamer; they all went out on multiple loans and played loads of men’s football. That pathway is something that inspires me. I want to work my way up the pyramid and reach the top.”
Starting at Concord Rangers in step three, Terry ended his first loan spell as the Supporters’ Player of the Season, an accolade he would also collect at AFC Hornchurch in their first season back in National League South, a division the Urchins currently lead.
Now at Braintree, having signed a two-year contract extension at the Hammers in March, Terry has been arguably the best goalkeeper in the division, averaging five saves per game and keeping four clean sheets in his first four home games in all competitions at Cressing Road.
"Playing in the National League is a very competitive league with some massive clubs in there," Terry added. "Some have huge fanbases and hostile environments to go and play at. It’s always a great feeling playing in front of crowds of around five or six thousand fans.
"Games being shown on DAZN gets a lot more eyes on the league, so there are always people watching whether they're present at the game or watching live on television. So far at Braintree I'm really enjoying continuing my development and becoming a better goalkeeper, but also a better human being on and off the pitch."
