The departure of Ian Bennett has heightened Huddersfield Town's need for a 'second choice' between the posts, with youngsters Ed Wilczynski and Lloyd Allinson the only other two members of the goalkeeping roster behind the generally undisputed No.1 Alex Smithies.

Joe Murphy has emerged as the most likely contender to fill that berth and will hope to succeed where Bennett hasn't since Town's promotion to the Championship in 2012, in superseding Smithies for the coveted first-team place.

One thing is abundantly clear, Smithies will start the season in goal, regardless of who arrives. His consistency across the last six seasons since his big breakthrough in 2008 marks him out as the clear favourite for the positon.

Having lost the experience of Peter Clarke, too, Smithies can boast experience - despite his tender age of just 24 - that few others in the Town squad are capable of beating so his place in this side is merited on a number of counts.

Bennett's parting words were ones of praise for Smithies and the veteran's inability to command the No.1 jersey for any prolonged spell during Town's stay in the second tier was testament to the job his superior has carried out.

A potential move for Murphy, especially given the tight budget and Financial Fair Play constraints Town must stick within, may be questioned by some sections of the Town fanbase but it ought not to be snuffed at.

The sheer notion of No.2 goalkeepers is one fraught with danger.

Plenty of fans around the country will be revel in telling you about some of their worst-ever signings and goalkeepers, signed with a brief to play understudy and that role only, feature prominently.

The likes of Rami Shaaban, Peter Enckelman, Hilario, Mark Bosnich and Charles Itandje almost roll off the tongue.

But just look at the dilemma FA Cup winners Arsenal currently face and you can begin to understand the reasoning behind Town's decision to move for a reserve shot-stopper.

Despite manager Arsene Wenger handing Lukasz Fabianski a run in the cup side that ultimately went on to beat Hull City 3-2 in the Wembley final, the Pole was fed up of playing second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny for the most part and sought pastures new in the form of Swansea City.

The Gunners have just Damian Martinez - who spent last season on loan at Town's Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday - to call upon now and must try and identify a reliable enough custodian to put pressure on Szczesny.

Steve Harper, formerly of Town, largely carved out a career for himself as deputy to Shay Given and a number of other keepers at Newcastle United and, while no means considered a flop by any of the clubs he has turned out for, it underlines the value of a second keeper.

Murphy's remit, should he sign, will be exactly that and, with international pedigree and years of experience at various levels of the English footballing hierarchy, he can offer Town a combination of the stalwart-like figure of Bennett and an appetite to make the No.1 spot his own and dethrone Smithies.

From Robins' perspective, signing a player he knows well from his brief time in charge at Coventry City is a win-win. He will be fully aware of the Republic of Ireland man's qualities and clearly feels he has what it takes to push Smithies all the way.

Should the 24-year-old pick up an injury or a suspension, Robins can feel comfortable in the fact he has a player whose own No.1 status at the Sky Blues was largely intact until youngster Lee Burge broke onto the scene and can seamlessly fill the breach.

The other side of the argument is that Murphy's mere presence would surely be enough to drive Smithies on to even bigger and better things with Town. That is an extremely attractive prospect given the progress he has made in a relatively short space of time at the club.

The thought of a fired-up Smithies, not to mention his scope for improvement, working in tandem with a No.2 hot on his heels and presumably set for cup competition action at the very least should be something to excite Town fans.

It may not be the added pace required in wide areas to reach the next step towards Town's goal of reaching the play-offs, but signing Murphy this summer could revive a goalkeeping department in need of a minor tweak.

Part one of the Huddersfield Town 2013/2014 end-of-season survey: the results - click here to read

Part two of the Huddersfield Town 2013/2014 end-of-season survey: the results - click here to read                

Huddersfield Town 2013/2014 end-of-season survey: the results at a glance - click here to read

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