Described by Palace as “a goalkeeper in the modern mould, with excellent distribution skills as well as shot-stopping ability,” Joe is the oldest of three goalkeeping brothers and became first choice for the under-23s at the age of 18 in 2021/22, making 23 appearances in Premier League 2 – including a run of saving three successive penalties.
He made 33 appearances in total for the U21s in 23/24, keeping seven clean sheets and saving two penalties. Earning plaudits for his performances, Whitworth earned the U21s Player of the Season award before a claiming a clean-sheet and stand out performance in the Premier League International Cup final victory against PSV in May.