Good goalkeepers are a rare breed, but it appears Wycombe Wanderers have unearthed another in the form of Benjamin Siegrist.

The Swiss stopper, who arrived on loan from Aston Villa in mid-March, made a long-awaited debut for the Chairboys during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Accrington Stanley.

He was reliable throughout and made some smart saves to keep Wanderers in a game they rarely looked like winning.

His surprise inclusion was, Gareth Ainsworth confirmed, a chance for the Wycombe boss to assess the qualities of a keeper he believes could have an extended future at Adams Park.

“I think he was outstanding today and we have got a potential gem in Benjamin Siegrist now,” Ainsworth explained.

“It is all about this club and whether we can get players like that. I will be working hard in the summer [to do that].

“Benji has been here for seven or eight weeks and hasn’t played a game. The only time I can get a look at him is in a first team game and that goes for every player here.

“Today was a chance to look at a keeper who I think is good enough to play in League Two and I was very impressed with what I saw.”

Matt Ingram and Ryan Allsop have both filled the Wycombe goal with distinction during the season, while injury has denied Alex Lynch a run in the team.

Of course, it would be premature to suggest Siegrist has all the qualities to thrive as a regular number one – Saturday was only his fifth career appearance – but the initial signs were positive.

Both Allsop and Siegrist’s loans are set to end at the conclusion of the campaign, and there is a sense the 24-year-old could be the more likely to be retained.

It is certainly an opportunity which would appeal to Siegrist.

“That was the plan [to stay beyond his initial loan] and the manager brought me in to look at me in training, so I am thankful for the opportunity,” Siegrist explained in near word perfect English after the Accrington match.

“It is a good set-up here and I like training with Baz [Barry Richardson]. I see the enthusiasm the gaffer has which does transfer onto the players.

“As far as my career goes, I am definitely looking to improve and I need to play. Like I say Wycombe have given me the opportunity and I am really thankful for that.”

While Siegrist would like to remain at Adams Park, his immediate aim will be to hold onto his starting spot for the trip to Oxford.

He accepts Ainsworth and the Wanderers coaching staff will make the final decision on whether he or Allsop starts, but says he is looking forward to the derby either way.

“It is a big game next weekend with it being a derby and everyone has been telling me about it, we will pick ourselves up and make sure we finish strong,” he said.

“I will go back into training and do as well as I can. If I don’t play I will support Rocky [Ryan Allsop] like I have done before and like he was supporting me today.”