This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Comment’ series, this content strand is where the author of the article issues their personal opinion on the topic at hand...

With only one spot available in a starting XI, and almost always just the one more available on the substitutes bench, it could be argued that the role of third-choice goalkeeper is one of the most frustrating ones in football.

But while that position stuck on the sidelines watching on week after week is surely one of the ones many within a clubs squad would like to avoid, it is a job that appears to be being thrust into the attention more and more in recent times, not least because of the identities of those called up to do those jobs at some of England's biggest clubs.

In the past season or so, Lee Grant, Rob Green, Andy Lonergan and Scott Carson have taken up that particular job of being third-choice goalkeeper at Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.

What is interesting about this is that, in contrast to the young up and coming goalkeepers who usually take on such a role, these are all players who are approaching the end of their respective careers.

Indeed, Green announced over the summer that he was retiring after precisely one season and zero appearances at Chelsea.

But while that may not seem like the most attractive way to end a career, it seems that it is one that those carrying out the role are happy to experience.

Speaking recently in an interview with Sky Sports, Grant claimed that having goalkeepers such as himself carrying out that job makes 'perfect sense' and you can certainly understand what he means.

With 'keepers such as Grant and Carson within their ranks, these clubs will now be able to allow some of those young players who may otherwise be third-choice to go out on loan and earn first-team experience elsewhere, without there being any concern about a lack of options for their parent club.

Add to that the fact that, as Green himself revealed in an interview with BBC Sport last season, his experience in the game meant that, while he may not have been playing on matchdays, he was able to provide a fresh pair of eyes and insight into a game to potentially help his team improve and alter their approach going forward, and it does seem to be a useful way to fill that role for clubs who are able to do so.

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Taking that into consideration, you imagine that there will be plenty of top tier sides considering taking that approach with regards to their goalkeeping options, and that has to be a concern for a number of Championship sides.

Given the competition there is between Premier League clubs, and the fact that such a move is unlikely to improve the amount of game time for any of those third-choice goalkeepers involved, it seems unlikely that there will be many exchanges between those teams in the top tier, which could see them turn to the Championship instead, something which is already starting to show.

As well as Carson's loan from Derby to Manchester City, the summer transfer window also saw 33-year-old David Martin make the move from Millwall to West Ham, where he has yet to make a single appearance in any competition.

You have to wonder therefore, if the attraction of the Premier League can convince a player to cross a divide as bitter at that of Millwall and West Ham, if there is much that any Championship side can really do to prevent such a move.

Add to that the fact that right now, with several proven goalkeepers plying their trade in the second tier - including the likes of Keiren Westwood, David Marshall and even Darren Randolph - there are plenty of options for those Premier League sides to start to think about in the next few years, and cycling back to Green once more shows exactly why those players may also be thinking about such a move.

He may not have made an appearance for Chelsea during his year with the club, but that hardly seems to be remembered in comparison to the image at the end of the season of Green jubilantly holding the Europa League trophy aloft following his side's victory over Arsenal in Baku in the final of that particular competition back in May.

That is something that did not go unnoticed around the football world, and there may be some of those keepers now craving that one last moment of glory for themselves, and that is something they will surely push for if given the chance to do so.

When Grant spoke of such a role making 'perfect sense', it seemed as though he meant it with the regards to the clubs themselves.

Worryingly for a number in the Championship, however, it may also seem to be a rather sensible move for the players involved as well.