Goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell relished being rushed in for his first Championship appearance for almost nine years to help Derby beat Charlton.
Goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell says he relished being rushed in for his first Championship appearance for almost nine years to help Derby County beat Charlton Athletic.
The veteran who has been on the books of 16 different club across his 20-year professional career was called up for his Rams debut on Tuesday, at the age of 37, to deputise for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
The Sweden international was ruled out less than 30 minutes before kick-off because of illness, leaving O'Donnell to step up for a game in the second tier for the first time since playing for Rotherham against Derby in May 2017.
"It felt like a bit of a whirlwind," O'Donnell told BBC Radio Derby.
"But more than anything I'm buzzing that we managed to hold out for the win because it's a really tough place to come."
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O'Donnell, who featured extensively in League One and League Two for Northampton, Bradford and Blackpool in the years between Championship appearances, was seen in deep conversation with goalkeeper coach Paul Clements before kick-off.
"Clems was brilliant with it all night," O'Donnell added. "He just said, 'go play your game. You've done it before and go do it again'.
"I felt really calm throughout the game, which might surprise people because I haven't played for a while.
"I felt really calm and really comfortable, and that comes down to the group and the environment that we have day-to-day."
Before the 2-1 win at The Valley, the only game O'Donnell had played this season was a for Grimsby Town in League Two during his short loan stay with the Mariners.
Still, with more than 480 professional appearances to his name the goalkeeper had vast experience to call on in the most rushed of circumstances.
"The work I do day-to-day sets me up for moments like this where I'm ready to come in to hopefully do a job, and I feel that I did that," he said.
Category: General Sports
