Former Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone enjoyed a positive debut for Crawley Town on Monday night, keeping a clean sheet as his new side knocked out York City in the preliminary round of the Carabao Cup.

Mannone, who was signed by Arsene Wenger in 2005 and would go on to make 15 appearances for the Gunners before his eventual departure in 2013, joined Crawley Town earlier this summer in a dual player-coach role.

The 38-year-old was solid between the sticks, making two saves as Gianmarco Di Biase and Danilo Orsi's goals ensured Crawley Town's season got off on the front foot at the LNER Community Stadium on Monday.

Some of the visiting fans serenaded former coach Scott Lindsey, who was axed by Crawley earlier in the year before taking the reins at newly promoted League Two side York last week, with chants of 'sacked in the morning' following Di Biase's 24th-minute opener.

Mannone, however, had a less controversial first game, bringing his extensive experience to the League Two outfit as they look to improve on a campaign which only narrowly avoided relegation on the final day last term.

Crawley are now set to visit Watford on Saturday in the Carabao Cup's first round. Their league season gets underway next weekend against Crewe.

It was Mannone's first competitive match in 18 months, having last turned out for Lille in February 2025 before leaving the French side as a free agent at the end of the season.

He had most recently been working at Premier League club Brighton as an Academy Goalkeeper Coach and was a UEFA A GK Candidate before joining Crawley in June.

Mannone will head up the goalkeeping department, taking control of all sessions and player development, but will also be available for selection as a registered member of the playing squad.

Crawley manager Colin Kazim-Richards told the club website: 'To be able to add to my coaching staff, to the club, someone of Vito's calibre is a credit in itself.

'His knowledge, his footballing experiences, playing at the highest level with some of the best coaches in terms of standards – what it actually takes and ideas coming from a country that creates amazing goalkeepers – has really taken us up another level.

'Vito comes with an intensity, and it's something I'm looking forward to in terms of creating a relationship and benefiting from his skills from a goalkeeper's perspective, and also as a person.

'As soon as we spoke, I knew he was the right man, so I can't wait to work with him.'

The 6ft 2in Italian has enjoyed a well-travelled career since joining Wenger in north London from Atalanta's academy at the age of 17.

After a loan spell at Barnsley in the 2006-07 season, Mannone became a regular around Arsenal's first team, working alongside Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski before making his debut against Stoke City in May 2009.

His stock rose during an eight-game stint for the Gunners in the 2009-10 campaign, although he lost his place when Almunia returned from injury. Two season-long spells with Hull City followed before he joined Sunderland in 2013.

Mannone would go on to make 80 appearances for Sunderland before moving to Reading in the summer of 2017.

Following a two-year stint with the Royals, and a period on loan with Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, where Mannone was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, the shot-stopper returned to the continent and enjoyed spells at Esbjerg FB, AS Monaco, FC Lorient and Lille before departing at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Following his appointment at Crawley, Mannone said: 'I am delighted and proud to take on this role and can’t wait to meet everyone at the club and to start working with the staff and players.

'I’ll give everything to the cause and hope to pass on my experiences as a player, leading into a successful season.'