Joe Whitworth is back at Exeter City and cannot wait to play again in front of the Grecian faithful at St James Park, he said after resigning for the club on loan from Crystal Palace.
Officially linking back up with Gary Caldwell and the squad on July 15, almost a year to the day his first loan spell began, the 21-year-old is now ready for a second season of EFL football and returning to EX4 to hear his song sung once again.
“I am absolutely buzzing. I loved last year and I can’t wait to get back to SJP and see all the fans. I’m so happy to be back,” he said.
“The fans are a huge part of this football club and I absolutely love playing at SJP in front of them. Their support the whole of last season, especially through the ups and down, and to play in front of them again is something I really can’t wait for.”
Whitworth played 51 times – including all 46 league games – for City in 2024/25 and showcased some standout performances throughout the campaign. Reflecting on his time, he explained why it was such a simple decision to return to Devon.
"As my first loan it was a new experience for me and I feel like I can take those experiences into this year as I have a lot more to show. It was a good loan for me, coming into such a tough league, and Palace saw that I loved my time here and that was a big part of why they were happy for me to come back.
“I learnt a lot more about myself. Football wise and off the pitch too, a lot of it was about consistency and what it takes to play 51 times in a season.”
Discussing his targets for the season, continual development as a player is a big part of why he chose to return to SJP, but he also has another individual target on his list
“I have made my own targets that I would like to achieve, obviously I’d love to beat the amount of clean sheets from last season but most importantly just keeping myself available for the manager to pick me.”
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