Tommy Setford found himself in the spotlight when he was introduced from the bench towards the end of our FA Cup Fourth Round win over Wigan at Emirates Stadium.
But the England under-21s goalkeeper has been building towards that Emirates Stadium debut for the past two seasons since joining us from Ajax.
Splitting his time between the under-21s and the first team, Tommy has gained valuable playing experience while also getting used to the senior setting.
“It’s a big difference between first team and under-21s football,” Tommy said, “I’ve been involved with the first team quite a lot.
“I know what the demand and the level is from the first-team, so I try to bring that into my game for the under-21s if I play for them.”
While Tommy is one of the more experienced players in our Premier League 2 squad, he’s at the opposite end of the experience ladder in the first team environment at just 19-years-old.
Having two experienced goalkeepers in David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga to learn from has been an invaluable experience over the course of the season, something Tommy is relishing.
“It’s amazing, you learn a lot from them. They’re like my two big brothers here. If I’ve got problems or I’ve got questions, I always go to them.
“They’re two amazing goalies with a lot of experience and a lot of good qualities. So to be able to train with them every single day and to learn that much is very memorable.
“I always watch how David prepares for his games, what his habits are, how he does his warm-up and I try to take that into my game as well.”
“I said ‘boys, I’m coming on, I’m coming on,’ and they were all so happy for me.”
Tommy had the opportunity to put that learning into practice when he came off the bench in our FA Cup win over Wigan in February.
Kepa had started the game, but made way for Tommy in the 87th-minute, in what was Tommy’s home debut.
“It was 4-0 at half-time, so then the goalie coach Inaki, he came up to me at half-time and said ‘you might come on.’
“Then obviously the boss turned around and said ‘Tommy get changed, you’re coming on’ so I was sat next to Declan, Noni and Bukayo and I said ‘boys I’m coming on, I’m coming on,’ and they were all so happy for me.
“The experience was crazy, and the way everybody supported me, from the boss to Inaki, Terry, David, Kepa, all the other players was amazing.”
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As well as making his Emirates Stadium debut this season, Tommy has enjoyed his first taste of England under-21s football, where he featured alongside club teammate Ethan Nwaneri.
“I was just there for my first time, show myself, show what I can do, and then unfortunately the first goalie got injured. It was an amazing experience. My mum, my dad, my brother, they came over to Birmingham to support me for my debut.
“It was raining, it was cold, probably the worst (conditions) I’ve ever played in! I kept a clean sheet, did well (and) I played with Ethan that game as well, so he supported me as well.”
Tommy’s family making the trip over from the Netherlands is just one of many things the young goalkeeper is incredibly thankful to them for.
“My family has been very, very important to me,” Tommy said with a smile, “they’ve supported me in every single moment they could.
“My mum and dad have made a lot of effort and put a lot of miles in the car for me to come and watch me, to come and support me.
“My girlfriend always keeps me grounded, so I’m very grateful for her as well. She’s helped me in every single way and supported me in every single moment she could.
“Even though I’m so young, they still try to help me develop as a person. Even though I make mistakes, they always try to help me improve. So I’m very grateful for my mum, my dad, my brother and my girlfriend.”
With just under three months left of the 2025/2026 season, Tommy is looking to finish on a high as we continue to compete in four competitions.
“(I will) support David and Kepa in every way I can, support my teammates to help try and win the Premier league and every single competition, keep training hard and keep improving.”
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