Dubravka pledges to support Darlow if he is picked to start
Newcastle’s January signing Martin Dubravka has pledged to support Karl Darlow if he is made to wait for his debut.
Rafa Benitez is contemplating whether to hand his new signing his first team debut against Manchester United at St James’ Park on Sunday, after Darlow experienced a mixed day at Selhurst Park last weekend.
It would be a risk to throw the Slovakia international in at the deep end, but with Benitez having pressed the Newcastle hierarchy to sign the goalkeeper, he is keen to get him ready as soon as possible.
Matz Sels also arrived with a similar reputation to Dubravka last season and couldn’t handle the heat of the Championship promotion chase, and is now out on loan in his native Belgium.
Talking about the battle for the number one spot, Dubrakva highlighted the need to be together as a team. He said;
Look, we are all competing for the shirt but we are all one team also. I will support Karl if he is in the goal. He will get 100 per cent of my support, whoever it is in goal will. It’s up to the coach who will be in goal. We are a team though and we will stick together.
I only had three training sessions with the team before the game. It can take a little longer than I am used to to get used to the sessions and the other guys, but I will do my best to be ready and to play. I want to show the coach I can play.
It is understood that Newcastle have a £4million option in Dubravka’s loan deal, and the 29-year is determined to prove that he deserves a permanent switch to Tyneside. He continued;
It’s exciting to be here, it is a big club particularly in my own country. I appreciate the opportunity and I will try to do my best to stay and hopefully it will not just be a loan.
I really hope I get to stay longer than six months. It’s a huge opportunity for my life.
The coach hasn’t said to me to prove myself for six months, nothing like that. I have to show myself and to the people that I can do this because this is what I want in my life.
I have played for smaller clubs before in my own country, Sparta Prague is a big club but this is a big step for me. The Premier League is an amazing league and I got to see at Palace straightaway how hard you have to fight for every point.
It has been perfect so far, it’s completely different to wherever else I have been at other clubs before. It is very professional, the guys are all quality and we train hard on the training ground. It’s about being 100 per cent every day and I am happy about that because I am determined to prove myself. I am delighted to be here.