Sheffield United vs Burnley

UTB 13
UTB: It is something of a
cliché, but is patience literally
a virtue for a goalkeeper,
especially when you aren’t in the
starting XI?
AD: “Absolutely, that hits the
nail on the head. As a goalkeeper
not in the team, you’ve got to be
patient and wait for your chance
to impress. I really enjoyed
my three games in the side,
particularly the win and clean
sheet at West Brom and I was
delighted when the lads managed
to back it up with another hardfought
three points in midweek
at Bristol City. At West Brom,
we got ourselves in a fantastic
position with two early goals and
we were excellent defensively
to see the game out without too
many scares. On Tuesday, the
conditions were awful, Bristol City
were right up for it and we were
poor first half, but we regrouped
at the break, managed to get an
early goal in the second half and
again defended our box well.
Patience and hardwork were key
in me trying to make the most of
the opportunity I had, now I have
to remain strong and resilient
mentality and be ready for the
next time I’m called into action.”
UTB: The goalkeeper’s union
is something that is often
spoken about in football, is
that genuine and how does the
dynamic work during the week?
AD: “It certainly is a genuine
bond. The goalkeepers and the
coach are always close because
you spend a lot of time together
away from the main group. We
have a healthy goalkeeping
department as has been proved
this season, with Wes, myself
and young Jordan and the
support we receive from Dukey is
fantastic, it is enjoyable to be part
of it. Wes has been unbelievable
since I arrived at the club in
January, he has been in amazing
form and for me personally
I’ve had to take something of a
back seat and keep plugging
away behind the scenes, doing
everything professionally
as I always have done away
from the games to make sure
I was ready when needed. It
was mad how my opportunity
came about, but I relished the
challenge of playing the three
games during Wes’s suspension
and I respected the manager’s
decision to put him back in the
team on Tuesday night.”
“I’VE HAD TO TAKE
SOMETHING OF A BACK
SEAT AND KEEP PLUGGING
AWAY BEHIND THE SCENES,
DOING EVERYTHING
PROFESSIONALLY AS
I ALWAYS HAVE DONE”
UTB: You initially arrived on a
short-term deal until the end of
last season, was it always in your
mind to earn a longer deal at
Bramall Lane?
AD: “Definitely. I loved my
few months here last season,
especially having played against
United for Stoke under the
previous manager earlier in the
campaign. We achieved so much
in the second half of last term and
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs BURNLEY