Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka has opened up on what he describes as a 'stressful' debut against Premier League giants Manchester United on the weekend.
The 29-year-old, who joined the Magpies from Sparta Prague last month, only found out he was playing two hours before the match. But he showed his worth in the final 10 minutes, helping his new team see out a glut of attempts from Jose Mourinho's men to win 1-0.
Dubravka also made an important save against Anthony Martial before Mat Ritchie's goal, highlighting an overall superb performance between the sticks.
“It was an amazing feeling for me, because we won against a very strong team,” he said, via the Shields Gazette.
“I’m very happy that we won as a team. We worked hard in training. We tried to do our best.
“It was very important for me. When you’re in a new club and trying to do your best and show people that you deserve to be here, it’s very important (to make a save like that).
“But probably more important for me was the first touch with the ball.
“You’re trying to help the players and I was happy at that moment that I could pass a good ball and stay calm and just enjoy the game.
“It was a bit stressful, because you could see all the players were in the box.
“You’re trying to do the best. We needed to stay calm in this situation and keep the ball away from the box and help each other and not just kick the balls away, keep it a little bit more.
“I think we did well, especially the last 10 minutes. We were under pressure, but we were trying to play football, and not just kick the balls away.
- 90Min