Travers became the youngest goalkeeper to make his Premier League debut since Joe Hart 13 years earlier when he pulled on the gloves for the very first time for Bournemouth in a game against Tottenham late in the 2018/19 season.
And such was his brilliance in a 1-0 win for the Cherries, his Wikipedia page was later amended.
“He made his Bournemouth debut on May 4, 2019 against Tottenham, and is widely regarded as the greatest keeper to have ever graced the Premier League,” it read.
“He is tipped to win the Ballon d’Or after a stunning debut.”
Well Ballon d’Or winners would have been proud of the goal Travers scored in a previous debut.
The keeper was just 18 when he linked up with Weymouth on loan, with the Evo-Stik Southern Premier League outfit obviously thinking they’d signed the teenager to prevent goals rather than score them. But he made his mark in a quite stunning fashion with a goal from 75 yards out to secure a 3-2 win at Bishop’s Stortford.
“He meant it, without a doubt,” said Weymouth assistant manager Paul Maitland.
“He shaped to pass it and at the last minute he’s seen the keeper off his line and lifted it over him.
“You knew as soon as he hit it that the keeper was in trouble.”
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Boro found themselves in a spot of bother between the posts this month. With Sol Brynn and Seny Dieng both ruled out long-term, Tom Glover was left as the only senior option for Michael Carrick. Boro were already assessing the keeper situation before Dieng’s Achilles surgery last week and Travers was identified as their top target this month.
The 25-year-old has actually been on their radar for the last few years but the timing has never been right to make a permanent move for the four-time Ireland international. But with Travers behind Chelsea loanee Kepa A In the pecking order at the Vitality Stadium this season, Boro sensed an opportunity.
Bournemouth wouldn’t sanction a loan move until their third choice keeper Will Dennis had recovered from an injury, but Boro were willing to wait and their patience was rewarded when Travers completed his loan move until the end of the season on Wednesday afternoon.
“I think Travers will prove to be a fantastic signing for Middlesbrough, a very good keeper who has previously excelled in the Championship – winning our Daily Echo/Micky Cave player of the year award in the 2021/22 promotion season, as voted for by Cherries fans,” said Alexander Smith, who covers the club for the Bournemouth Echo.
“He’s a brilliant shot stopper. You only need to look at the Aston Villa game earlier this season where he made a string of excellent saves to keep Bournemouth in the game, a match they went on to draw 1-1 after a stoppage time equaliser. Travers has also been good in the other four games he’s played so far this term, twice against Chelsea with Kepa ineligible. He played at Stamford Bridge and made a couple of good stops earlier this month, as well as keeping a clean sheet against Everton after playing in the Cherries first ever defeat of Manchester City earlier in the season.
“In all, I think it will prove to be a very good deal for both parties – Middlesbrough get a keeper who has proven himself to be brilliant at the Championship level and he’ll get valuable game time before coming back to the south coast.”
In that 2021/22 season, Travers was the Championship’s best goalkeeper, keeping 20 clean sheets and winning the league’s Golden Glove award.
“He probably epitomises everything we are, to be honest with you,” said Scott Parker, Bournemouth’s boss at the time.
“He has worked tirelessly. He took the bumps along the way and improved drastically.”
Like every good goalkeeper, Travers is able to shrug off setbacks.
“Just don’t let bad situations beat you up,” he said in one previous interview.
His temperament impressed Mick McCarthy, who wasn’t at all surprised by Travers’ hugely impressive performance in his Bournemouth debut against Tottenham, for he’d seen up close what the keeper was capable of after giving him his first senior Ireland call-up a few months earlier.
“He was terrific, everybody was impressed by him when he came in with us and a lovely young man as well,” said McCarthy.
“[I was] impressed. He’s going to be a good goalkeeper. Shay Given made his debut at 19. I’m not suggesting for one minute he’s the next Shay Given so don’t let me put that in but age is not a problem, it’s his ability.”
“It is understanding his personality as well, how he handled being in the first-team squad when he came. He was very calm about it, very mature, for a 19-year-old young man.
“[He’s a] really calm individual, trained that way, didn’t get flustered. Listened to everything that was said to him by Alan Kelly (Ireland goalkeeping coach) and Alan Kelly thought he was excellent. So it wasn’t a surprise to me that he handled it.
“Youngsters can get flustered. The problem is, is when it doesn’t go well and you’re a youngster, how do you come back from that one.
“If you’re a bit older and more mature, it’s probably happened to you and you know you’ll come back. But listen, we can only applaud him on his first game, he was brilliant.”
Perhaps that calm disposition comes from Travers’ background and sporting upbringing.
”Mark potentially could have been a pro golfer if he wasn’t a goalkeeper, he was brilliant apparently by all accounts,” said Stephen Kenny, another former Ireland boss.
“He has that temperament, he is so consistent. He has a massive frame, 6’4 or 6’5 and gets in the way, he’s difficult to beat and athletic.”
Travers believes there are similarities between golfers and goalkeepers, so he was delighted to be able to pick the brains of Shane Lowry after he’d won the 2019 Open Championship.
“We were away with the Irish team,” recalled Travers.
“He came in with the Claret Jug, which was pretty cool and just spoke to everyone.
“He’s obviously a really down to earth, nice guy. He took the time to come in to all the lads and show his achievement, which was really cool.
“I think to be honest there’s a lot of similarities between a golfer and a goalkeeper, where it can be quite individual at times.
“Not a lot of people probably understand the goalkeeper position, except the people who play it.
“Sometimes you are out there by yourself and you have to have that strong mindset to keep pushing and it’s probably a lot similar to golf – that’s probably something that has helped me doing that as a kid as well.”
He’ll no doubt enjoy having a knock around Rockliffe Hall in the next few months.
Premier League loan signings have been game-changers for Boro. Think Patrick Bamford, Gaston Ramirez and Ben Doak. Shay Given was immense during his brief stint as well. Travers will be looking to add his name to that list.
