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Alnwick was one of many professionals at Spurs frozen out by boss Juande Ramos at the start of the season, as at least ten players were not awarded any squad number for the forthcoming campaign. The former England under-21 goalkeeper having joined the North London club in January 2007 from Sunderland for a fee of £900,000, potentially rising to £1.3 million, with fellow glovesman Martin Fulop moving the other way for £500,000.
The 21-year old started his career in his native North-East with Sunderland where he came through the youth ranks to become an unused substitute in the first-team for 14 months before finally making his debut in April 2005 at home to Leicester. Alnwick going on to make 22 starts for the Black Cats before his move down to White Hart Lane.
With so many goalkeepers at Spurs though he has struggled to get into the matchday sixteen and was loaned out to Luton Town for a month in October 2007 where he made four starts. Another loan spell then following at Leicester City for four months from January until the end of the season, although he only made eight appearances at the Walkers Stadium after picking up a thigh injury in the middle of his temporary spell.
Internationally Alnwick was first called up to the England under-21 ranks in August 2006 against Moldova, although his first sit on the substitutes bench came in October of that year away to Germany. The Prudhoe-born goalkeeper having only moved from there once in his 14 bench roles for the England youngsters, that coming in August 2007 when he replaced number one Joe Hart at half-time in a 1-1 friendly draw at home to Romania.
Where this leaves current Carlisle number two Chris Howarth, following the dropping of Ben Williams, is uncertain, although it can safely be said that he isn't in the long term plans of John Ward, the United boss commenting to BBC Radio Cumbria about the signing of Alnwick :
"Spurs have given us permission to play him in the FA Cup and he will go straight into the side this weekend. It's a position I felt we needed to look at. And he comes recommended. Ben Williams has made one or two errors that's cost us a goal or two. And I think it's time to step him out of the firing line for the time being.
"I've no doubt Ben is an excellent goalkeeper but you don't become immune from making the changes. I think people will understand why I've made that decision.I'm pleased that the board has backed us in recent weeks.
"We've brought Ben in as well as Graham Kavanagh and Jennison Myrie-Williams and it shows everyone at the football club is trying to rectify the position we're in. I'll speak to Chris (Howarth) about the situation. It wasn't a question of going out to get a new goalkeeper in. But the opportunity to bring Ben Alnwick in came up and was one I felt I had to take."
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