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Dover Athletic sign goalkeeper Oliver Webber on loan from Premier League Crystal Palace

Dover Athletic boss Andy Hessenthaler has signed keeper Oliver Webber on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old joins Whites from Premier League Crystal Palace.

Yusuf Mersin - has started eight games for Dover this season. Picture: Keith Gillard
Yusuf Mersin - has started eight games for Dover this season. Picture: Keith Gillard

He goes straight into the squad for this Saturday's National League clash at home to Solihull Moors, which is being played behind closed doors.

Webber is highly-rated at Palace and signed a new contract at the start of this season. He has played nine times for Palace's under-23s side this season.

He is a Northern Ireland under-21 international, making his debut against Ukraine last November.

Hessenthaler signed Arsenal keeper Tom Smith on loan earlier this season but he has started just four matches for Dover. Webber's arrival means that Smith's loan spell, which was due to end at the end of this month, has been cut short early.

Yusuf Mersin started the season as first-choice keeper for Dover and has played eight times but he was at fault during last weekend's defeat at Dover.

Speaking earlier this week, Hessenthaler said: "When senior players make the mistakes then it becomes a worry.

"You can almost understand it if the younger ones do it but it just can’t happen for the senior players.

“Yusuf the keeper was at fault and he knows – he is not silly. We’ve got to cut them out, especially when we go away from home.

“We came in at half-time and said we’ve got a chance so let’s make sure we take something from the game.

“There was nothing in the game. Unfortunately for us, it was individual errors for the second and third goals that cost us.”

Meanwhile, on-loan Hull midfielder Ryan Hanson has extended his loan deal with hometown club Dover to the end of the season.

Read more: All the latest sports news in Kent

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