Louie Moulden has admitted his Norwich City career had 'stalled' as he secured a season-long loan to Accrington Stanley in search of regular football.
The goalkeeper, 24, has joined the League Two side in pursuit of consistent game time, having not played a senior minute of football since September 2024. Both his time at City and at Crystal Palace have been spent in supporting roles.
With Vladan Kovacevic settled as the Canaries number one and Dan Grimshaw occupying the understudy role, the prospect of game time is remote, and that has forced the Manchester City academy graduate into pushing for a spell away from Carrow Road.
Moulden was close to an exit in January, but has now secured the move and explained the necessity to get back playing regularly in the EFL after conversations with City's hierarchy.
"We had the discussion last season, towards the end of last season about what the plan was. It was made clear that I had to play. I made that clear, and the club were in agreement," Moulden told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"For me, then, the next step was, right, I need to be there day one. I didn't want it dragging on. I've had that before.
"You leave it later in the window and it's a lottery. You can get something really good or, like last January, I can end up missing completely and not playing. For me, it was most important that I was here, most important that I got to know everyone.
"It's not just me knowing them, they've got to understand me, understand how I work and what I bring to the team."
Life as a back-up goalkeeper is tough. Training every day without the prospect of a game can be difficult in a position where opportunities rarely arise.
Moulden moved to City to reunite with the previous head of goalkeeping, Tony Roberts, having worked with him previously at Wolves, only for the Welshman to depart three months into the Championship season, with Declan Rudd and Ricardo Pereira succeeding him.
After two seasons of limited action, the shot-stopper is determined to restart his career at Accrington.
"I've played 80-85 games. I did that in a very short spell. I made really good steps and had really good momentum, and then, through choices and moves I won't go into too much, it didn't work the way it should have, and you end up getting stalled," Moulden admitted.
"For me, last season was a goalie coach that I knew really well and a goalie coach that I trusted with my development, and I chose the club because of how the club presented it to me, working with that goalie coach.
"That was why I made the choices that I did. Having said that, the goalie coach left in November and has been replaced by two also very good goalie coaches. The last year wasn't so difficult because I felt like I was pushing every day, I was improving, and the plan was to play in January. That was where we were at, and unfortunately, it didn't happen.
"It was just about moving on with the next one. Where's the next opportunity? For me, that's Accrington."
🔴 "I'm hungry at the best of times. I want to do well at the best of times, but when you're taken out of the situation for two years, it's difficult. I'm just excited to get going."@louie_moulden is relishing his chance at Accrington after joining on loan from Norwich pic.twitter.com/97D0h2pAbG
— BBC Sport Lancashire (@BBCLancsSport) July 2, 2026
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