ON-LOAN Scotland under-21 international Chris Kettings is aiming to oust Michael Ingham from his long-standing position in between the York City sticks.

Ingham has never been dropped by any of the five City managers – Terry Dolan, Colin Walker, Martin Foyle, Gary Mills and Nigel Worthington – he has worked under.

In fact, since Ingham’s first game back at the club in 2008 after his initial loan spell five years earlier, understudies Josh Mimms (seven), Paul Musselwhite (three) and David Knight (one) have only made 11 league appearances between them due to an injury or suspension for the former Northern Ireland international.

Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper Aaron Jameson, meanwhile, watched on from the bench after being brought in on loan by Worthington in March but Kettings, who has joined the Minstermen for the whole of 2013/14 from parent club Blackpool, is aiming to end Ingham’s monopoly on the Bootham Crescent goalkeeping role.

The 6ft 4in net-minder said: “Competition is healthy and I’ve not come here to disrespect Michael. I am sure we will get on great when we are working together every day but, at the same time, we are obviously both after that starting shirt.

“He’s got it at the moment but I want to get some League games, get playing in the first team and, if possible, establish myself as the first choice. I have heard great things about Michael. He has done very well over the last couple of years but it’s my job to come here and push him and push him.

“I think that will improve both of us because he will have somebody young pushing for his place and, for me, he’s somebody else with experience who I can learn from because he’s played a lot of games.”

Kettings, 20, has previous experience of challenging for an established ’keeper’s place.

Morecambe’s Barry Roche has been with the Shrimps for the same length of time as Ingham’s second spell with the Minstermen and is the club captain now at the Globe Arena.

But Kettings managed to make two appearances during a loan spell at the coastal club and, despite being a year-and-a-half younger, coped with the well documented physical demands of League Two football.

On his Morecambe experience, Kettings added: “I managed to get a couple of games, including my debut, and I loved it. It went very well.

“I’ve always been a big lad and, 18 months down the line, I’ve been in the gym a lot working on my physique. I just need to be fine-tuned and get more experience now.

“Technically, I think my handling and shot-stopping are strengths, along with my bravery – I am willing to get myself in the way of incoming crosses. But I also think a massive part of goalkeeping is the mental side of things.

“That can only come with experience and maturity, and the older I get the more that will improve.”

Kettings has yet to make his senior debut at Championship outfit Blackpool and is the current third choice at Bloomfield Road behind full Scotland international Matt Gilks and 22-year-old reserve Mark Halstead.

He, therefore, had little hesitation when a chance to join City was offered to him, explaining: “Our chairman Karl Oyston, who knows the gaffer really well from when he was at Blackpool, asked me if I fancied coming here and I said yes because York City are a great club that are going places so it’s a great opportunity for me.

“Matt Gilks and Mark Halstead are both older than me, have been at the club for a while and are both brilliant ’keepers so the competition is tough, although working with them every day has helped me improve massively.”

Kettings will also be joined at Bootham Crescent by a new goalkeeper coach next season with Andy Collett having taken over that role from the departed Fred Barber.

On that prospect, the on-loan Tangerine added: “I’ve only had a five-minute chat with Andy but, from what I’ve heard, he’s enthusiastic and speaks sense. I’m sure his experience will help bring me on in leaps and bounds too.”

During his time with the Minstermen, Glaswegian-born Kettings, who moved to his mother’s home-town of Wigan at the age of two, is hoping to add to his three Scotland U21 caps.

Qualifying for the 2015 U21 European Championships, which has seen Scotland drawn in a group with Holland, Slovakia, Georgia and Luxembourg, starts this year and the City loanee said: “I got involved with the international set-up last season and things went really well.

“I made my debut, played a few games and it was a different experience. Hopefully, I will be involved again next season. The target is to make the 2015 Championships in the Czech Republic and we’ve got a good chance.”