Wycombe goalkeeper David Stockdale revealed how ‘thrilled’ he was after playing for Wanderers in their 0-0 draw against Millwall on Saturday.
The 35-year-old shot-stopper played his first game for the club in 385 days, after Ryan Allsop picked up an injury a day before the clash at the Den.
Stockdale had been on loan at League Two Stevenage where he played five matches for the Hertfordshire side, keeping three clean sheets.
It was only Stockdale’s fifth game for the Chairboys in three spells with the club, with the stalemate against Millwall being his first clean sheet for Gareth Ainsworth’s men.
Speaking after the draw, he said: “I’m very thrilled.
“It was weird because I got called late last night [February 19] and obviously, there was a who-ha about signing forms and that to get back in time.
“But it was bittersweet as I enjoyed my time at Stevenage, and you want to finish the job for them while you’re there but I knew I had a big job coming back.
David Stockdale kept his first clean sheet for Wycombe in the 0-0 draw against Millwall (Prime Media)
“It has been two years and seven months since my last Championship appearance [May 2018] so it was nice to get that under my belt and help the lads get a point.”
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The former Fulham, Brighton, and Birmingham man put in a great performance against the Lions, as he brilliantly denied Millwall striker Scott Malone from getting the only goal of the game, in what was a dull affair in the capital.
And for Stockdale, he has had to be very patient for his opportunity to play for the club again, following the stellar displays of Allsop, who prior to Saturday’s draw against Millwall, had played every minute of every match for the club this season in the league and cups.
The match was Allsop’s first absence since the 2-0 away defeat to MK Dons on February 1, 2020, which was Stockdale’s last game for the club before Saturday.
He continued: “I hated every single minute that I wasn’t playing at Birmingham to last week where we had a couple of games [for Stevenage].
Stockdale made some important saves against Millwall
— David Stockdale (@stockogk1313) February 21, 2021
“But that is a testament to Ryan who has kept me out and it is not through me being bad, it is me pushing him and that is what it is about.
“Sometimes you have got to be selfless and help other people and that is why I fell back in love with the game after Birmingham when I joined Wycombe, I owed Wycombe and Ryan a chance to build on that and be a good teammate.
“You get too many people who are banging down the gaffer’s door and that was part of my loan.
“I said to the gaffer that if I ever need to be ready, then I need to be playing and a testament to the club, as Stevenage and Alex Revel took me on, and I am happy all round.”
Up next for Wycombe is a home match against Reading on Tuesday, February 23.
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