Karl Darlow has to prove himself all over again

Karl Darlow's ready to prove himself all over again in the Championship with relegated Newcastle United.
Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl DarlowNewcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow
Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow

Darlow – who has experience of the division from his time at Nottingham Forest – could start next season in goal.

No 1 goalkeeper Tim Krul. recovering from a long-term knee injury, is pencilled in to return to training in pre-season, while Rob Elliot won’t be fit until later this year. Darlow played the final eight games of last season after Elliot, like Krul before him, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in March.

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The 25-year-old impressed between the posts as United ended the campaign with a six-game unbeaten run.

“I feel as though I did all right after I came into the team,” said Darlow, signed two years ago from Forest in a double deal with Jamaal Lascelles.

“It’s obviously a different standard in the Premier League, and I knew I was going to need a run of games to really sink my teeth into it.

“It’s a different category to playing Championship football, but once I got my head around that in the first few games, I felt settled and proved to myself more than anything that I can play in the Premier League.

“We’ll see what happens next season now.”

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Darlow is hopeful United can pick up where they left off, having ended their Premier League campaign with a 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

“It was important that we finished well,” he said.

“We were playing against a team that started the game second in the league, but we beat them convincingly.

“That should help us go into next season with momentum. Hopefully, we can build on that when the new season starts.”