Our goalkeeping needs kept things busy enough as we entered February 2023; Adam Przybek coming in to offer cover in that position. Quite what his role would be, however, was anyone’s guess. At the time of Pryzbek’s arrival, Boro’ were not long after bringing in Jökull Andrésson on loan from Reading. And the Icelandic stopper was generally accepted as the lad who’d stand in for Taye Ashby-Hammond; the Fulham loanee who suffered an injury at the end of January 2023. And we haven’t even got to the bit where Aaron Chapman left us for pastures new just prior to Pryzbek’s arrival!
So, all change in the goalkeeping department and still the half expectation that Ashby-Hammon would be back. So, the onus would be on Pryzbek to show his worth as much as he could; first team opportunities not thought to be too readily available. Maybe that wasn’t the case as you come to read this some months after the deal was announced? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. What we do know for certain is that Przybek came to us having not had a club since he departed Walsall by mutual consent in November 2022; injury severely restricting his progress in the West Midlands.
With just one appearance to his name, however, Pryzbek was released in summer 2023.
Adam Pryzbek: Before Boro’
Pryzbek’s tale begins in the West Midlands, as it goes. Born in Nuneaton, the stopper is recorded as having started his career at West Bromwich Albion at the age of seven. With the Baggies, he progressed up through their youth structure; turning professional in 2018. But he’d only last another year at the Hawthorns before being let go. Mind you, he did get his first taste of senior action in that time; heading out on loan three times to three different non-league clubs. The first was Worcester City, the second Gloucester City, and the third Rushall Olympic.
In summer 2019, his release played into the hands of League One outfit Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys swooped in to sign Przybek. And yet his two years at Portman Road would also be relatively fruitless. It’d be Braintree Town, Concord Rangers, and Chesterfield who would keep him busy in separate loan spells again. So, he’d be on the move again when summer 2021 rolled around. The goalkeeper signed for Wycombe Wanderers – but left at the end of his one-year deal. Walsall were next in, but one competitive outing was all he could register before injury struck.
One other interesting fact about Pryzbek. He represented England at U15 and U16 level – but would switch to Wales at U17 level; a nation he’d go onto turn out for at U19 and U21 level too.
