Burton Albion will need to recruit a new goalkeeper next season after it was revealed that Brad Collins will not be returning for 2019-20.

The 22-year-old was exceptional last season for the Brewers getting into the D3D4 InStat Young Team of the Season.

His ability has not gone unnoticed and the keeper is now likely to sign for a Championship club. Collins kept 11 clean-sheets in 35 appearances while on loan at the Pirelli Stadium and the Brewers were hoping to sign him when his contract at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of the month.

Unfortunately for Burton, manager Nigel Clough confirmed today that the youngster would not be signing with the Derbyshire outfit.

“Brad won’t be signing for us – he is going elsewhere, which is bitterly disappointing,” said Clough.

“We were quite a long way down the road with it, we thought we’d got him.

“His agent gave us his word that he’d be signing this week, but that hasn’t materialised, so he’s off elsewhere, and we move on looking for the next one.

“That starts immediately. It was ongoing anyway, because as much as we were hoping he would sign, until his name is on the contract, that’s why we don’t say anything – it’s never done.

“We are moving on to the next ones on the list now, it’s just finding the next one. There are plenty out there in that situation similar to Brad.”

Burton will now be looking for a new keeper with Stephen Bywater, Jack Livesey and Callum Hawkins the only contracted stoppers remaining at the club.

They are already targeting the loan moves for a couple of Premier League targets and will be hoping to get something sorted sooner rather than later.