Keith Curle impressed by Hartlepool United goalkeeper as ex-Chelsea and Norwich City man admits to 'best' period of his career

Despite having to pick the ball out of the back of his net more than any other goalkeeper in League Two so far this season, Killip has produced a number of standout saves which have contributed to the points tally Hartlepool have managed to amass this campaign and keep the scores down in various defeats.

Killip is one of the longest serving members of the Hartlepool squad having signed from non-league side Braintree over three years ago - and in that time he has gone on to make over 130 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Also within that time, Killip has been through his fair share of managers, with interim boss Keith Curle the latest on that list.

And Curle admits he has been impressed by the former Chelsea youth star, not just as a goalkeeper but as a person.

“Ben is a good professional. He’s slightly different in his character and makeup to some goalkeepers that I’ve come across but he cares about his profession and his role within the team,” explained Curle.

“He’s got a good standing within the changing room, he’s a thinker.

“He’s got a very good relationship with Kyle Letheren, the goalkeeping coach. They’ve got a very honest relationship and if you have a look at Kyle I think you can tell that when he says something, it’s delivered with meaning and it’s not personal but it’s professional and I like that.

“Ben has made some good saves, [he’s got] good distribution, good feet, good understanding of his role within the team and a player that is developing a personality in goal.

“Most goalkeepers at most football clubs are known as being different and Ben is a little bit different, but probably in a different way to some goalkeepers that I have come across.”

Killip’s time at the Suit Direct Stadium has not always been easy despite what his appearance tally would suggest.

The Pools No.1 has borne the brunt of supporters at times in the early stages of his spell with the club and has faced a number of challenges to wrestle the gloves away from his competitors.

But following the club’s promotion back to the Football League - with play-off final penalty shootout hero Brad James returning to Middlesbrough - Killip really began to demonstrate his credentials, and worthiness, to being handed the starting shirt in goal.

Speaking to The Mail earlier this season Killip said of his form: “I think the last 18 months of my career have definitely been the best over a long period of time.

“I’ve managed to find a good place where I can stay pretty present in the moment and not try and get carried away and do too much or get carried away and try and prove to people what I can do and instead let games come to me.

“I think I’ve managed to control my mental and emotional side of the game a lot better which was always probably the problem with me when I was a bit younger.

“Dave Challinor gave me the shirt last season and I've managed to keep it with Jonno [Mitchell] and then Graeme Lee came in who put me in again and the battle with Nic [Bilokapic] and I think I’ve done well because they're both good goalkeepers.

“Jonno is at Doncaster and Nic signed a four-year deal at Huddersfield so you’re not competing against nobodies, you’re competing against good keepers so it’s obviously a confidence boost for myself to be able to keep them out of the team.”

The 26-year-old added: “I came up here when I was 23 which obviously is young and now I'm 26 - that’s a lot of growing as a person.

“That's a big development age in your career and your life. It was a new beginning for me when I moved up here and sometimes it can take time to get used to it but I think now, for sure I’ve played over 100 games for the club and I'm a bit older, people maybe see me as a bit more of a senior in the squad.

“The last year I’ve been a lot more mature and what you’d want from a goalkeeper.”

And that maturity led to Killip being handed the captains armband under previous manager Paul Hartley in the absence of Nicky Featherstone - a responsibility the goalkeeper insisted he would not shy away from following a 2-0 defeat at Sutton United, in what would be Hartley’s final game in charge.

But although the armband has been taken off him by interim boss Curle in favour of full-back David Ferguson - another of the more senior players within the squad, Killip remains committed to the cause in helping to turn around Pools’ fortunes this season.

“I’ve seen everything at this club,” Killip explained after the recent defeat at Sutton.

“I’ve been through bad individual spells and I've been through bad team spells. I've been through good individual spells and good team spells and I've got the brunt of the fans.

“Football is an extremely tough industry to be a part of - even more so at this level when you’re away from your family, you’re away from home.

“You’re not getting paid loads of money. Yes, you’re getting paid better than most jobs you do, but there’s a lot of sacrifices that come with it. It’s difficult.

“Lads are away from their kids and you don’t do that to be in the position we are now. You do that because you’re willing to fight and you want to do this and you want to win games.

“It takes a lot of character and I think we’ve got the character in the squad to do it.”