Main Interview
Neil Etheridge
L
ast weekend’s game on the road at Millwall may not live long in the memory given the outcome, but for one Blues player it meant a return to First Team league action after a testing six months.
Neil Etheridge was hospitalised with COVID-19 in the summer and his journey since has been one long road of recovery, requiring patience and hard work building up to last weekend. This wait was extended courtesy of Matija Sarkic’s fine form in the last line of defence. But when injury forced the Wolverhampton Wanderer’s loanee out of the trip to The Den, Etheridge returned between the sticks.
Now preparing for the visit of his former club, Cardiff City, with whom he won promotion from the Sky Bet Championship in 2018, the ‘keeper caught up with Blues News.
You were back in the team for your first league appearance of the season on Saturday – how did it feel to be back out there? You have to take your opportunity when it comes and it’s impossible to ignore how well Matty [Sarkic] has done since he has come in over the summer. Ten clean sheets speak for themselves but for me Saturday came as an opportunity to show what I can do again, and I hope I did that.
It was not the result we wanted but certainly chances for you to show what you can do – did you feel that you put in a solid shift?
Of course, it was not the result we wanted. Millwall is always a tough place to go, and we covered the result post-match. But for me personally, I think I made some good saves and had work to do. To be honest, it was just huge to be back, and I enjoyed it. You have had to be patient this season – how has that been? It is one of the first times in my senior career that I have had to be patient like this. It has taught me to be as such, to work hard and improve my game. You can’t replicate match fitness but off the pitch I have been busy in the gym and focusing on parts of my game I wouldn’t normally get the chance to assess. It’s not been easy at times but certainly part and parcel of being a footballer and a goalkeeper. It was a challenging summer period given your fight against COVID-19 – do you feel fully over that now? I can’t sugar coat how much of a scare it was in the summer. I have moved past it now and it is not something that is holding me back anymore. I won’t use it as an excuse for anything, but I am thankful for all the support shown to me at the time. But for me now, moving forwards, I want to work hard, keep improving and show people once again the goalkeeper that I am. Up against a former employer in Cardiff today – how do you find those occasions? No one can take away the success and the good times I had at Cardiff – people might say it has changed a lot there in 18 months though. But now, I am a Birmingham City player, and I am very happy to be here. My career is at St. Andrew’s and I am always looking to move forwards.
6 | BLUES NEWS
BIRMINGHAM CITY vs CARDIFF CITY
