It's tough! Parkin wants to be Boston United's number one, but that means taking pal George Willis' place

The teenage stopper joined the Pilgrims from Chesterfield this summer, and while he’s happy to be sharing a dressing room with his former clubmate, he knows they will both be battling for the same thing.

“I’ve known George for a long time. I joined Sheffield United at 12 and he was a first-year scholar and I got to know him from there,” Parkin said.

“He’s always been one of the first to help me out, but George is like that.

“It’s tough. We’re good friends and we train together and want to help each other, but it’s one of those situations where you both want to be number one.”

Parkin says that his desire to play first-team football and the fact that manager Craig Elliott had no qualms in picking Willis, himself another young keeper, last season helped make his mind up about where to move after leaving the Spireites.

“It was tough making the move up (from youth football) at Chesterfield,” the 19-year-old added.

“It was the man’s game and I was on the bench.

“I was used to playing regularly, and then it all became about training but not playing.

“I had other options but I wanted to make the move to Boston because I want to be playing games.

“I can’t improve unless I’m playing regular football.

“The manager proved last year that he picked his goalkeepers by who deserved to be playing, and he wasn’t afraid to play a young keeper.

“That made me think that Boston would be the best move for me.”