Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell has hailed the impact of Crystal Palace loanee Joe Whitworth.

The 20-year-old goalkeeper is on his maiden senior loan and has kept nine clean sheets in League One.

Alongside his strong shot-stopping record, Whitworth has shown tremendous ability in possession with 7.08 accurate long balls per 90.

Speaking after Saturday’s narrow defeat to Birmingham, Caldwell praised Whitworth's all-round game.

“Joe's been excellent,” Caldwell insisted. “He's a young goalie who's playing his first games in league football and especially early in the season, he was the main thing that was keeping us clean sheets – he was a massive part of our defensive solidity that we had.

“We've improved as a group defensively and he's a big part of that.

“Not only in the way he saves and his bravery to come out for crosses and deal with things like that, but the way he can play with his feet is an outstanding attribute that modern-day goalkeepers need. So we're delighted to have him.

“We've had real success as a club over the years [with on-loan goalkeepers]. Last year, Viljami Sinisalo was a huge success and Joe is just following in his footsteps and doing magnificently.”

GO FURTHER

• Exclusive interview with Crystal Palace's Joe Whitworth