Cherries: Jalal wants to hit his peak at Dean Court (From Bournemouth Echo)

Cherries: Jalal wants to hit his peak at Dean Court

7:00am Wednesday 1st July 2009 in

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SHWAN Jalal wants to reach his peak in Cherries colours.

The goalkeeper was a key part of the team which miraculously escaped relegation out of the Football League last season, keeping an impressive 17 clean sheets in all competitions during the campaign.

Jalal turns 26 in August, so he believes his best years are in front of him and he is keen to hit his top form while plying his trade at Dean Court.

The club’s number one told the Echo: “Goalkeepers probably hit their peak at about 28 or 29, so I’d like to think I can keep improving my game and hopefully do that playing for Bournemouth.

“I’d like to carry on my form from the second half of last season and try to push on.

“The back four and myself put together a good partnership and only let in nine goals in the last 18 games.

“If we can do something like that next season, I don’t think we’ll be too far away. The aim is the play-off positions.”

The former Woking and Peterborough stopper is bullish about Cherries’ prospects ahead of the new season.

He said: “We’ve got a very strong squad.

“Of the teams we played last season under Eddie, not one of them outplayed us, maybe apart from Exeter in the first half at St James’s Park, but we came away with the win.

“I don’t think any other team outplayed us and we have nothing to fear and the squad is capable of reaching the play-offs.”

Jalal began his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur and he is looking forward to testing himself against the top-flight giants when they visit Dean Court for a pre-season friendly this month.

“It’s always nice to play against your old club and the Tottenham game stands out,” he admitted.

“But the other friendlies really look good as well and hopefully as a unit we’ll get a good pre-season and look to our opening League Two match against Bury.”

Competition for the Cherries goalkeeping jersey will again be provided by Ryan Pryce after the youngster agreed to a new one-year deal at Dean Court last month.