3/1 To Win
Goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell is ready to share his experience with the Derby County squad after he joined the club on a one-year deal.
The 36-year-old shot-stopper is Derby’s fourth signing of the transfer window and has 482 EFL appearances to his name.
His arrival offers another body in Derby’s goalkeeping department and he will work alongside Jacob Widell Zetterström and Josh Vickers, as well as Head of Goalkeeping Paul Clements.
O’Donnell has second-tier experience, having played between the sticks for both Bristol City and Rotherham United between 2015 and 2017, making 41 Championship appearances.
RamsTV caught up with the new recruit to talk about joining the club and his nurturing role within the squad.
On joining the Rams…
I'm delighted because this is a really big club steeped in history, with a terrific fan base. Everything about the club made it an appealing move. I'm delighted to get it done.
On his role coming into the squad…
After speaking to the gaffer and Paul Clements, it was a really appealing one for me in terms of where I fit in and where my role is. Before the last couple of years, I've been used to playing week in, week out. I've nearly got to that 500-game mark, which is still a target of mine.
I’ve had many highlights, starting at my boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday and then playing at Wembley. There's been plenty of ups and plenty of downs. That's part of the reason why I'm here, using my experience to help guide everyone through, as well as the already experienced boys who are here.
On his new team-mates in the goalkeeping department…
They both did extremely well last year. Obviously, Jacob played the majority of the season, but Josh came in the last few games and did really, really well. I'm just here to add to that group and hopefully use my experiences to help the lads - not just the goalkeepers, but the squad in general. It's something I'm looking forward to getting stuck into.
