Nathan Shepherd admits it was a big adjustment stepping up to men’s football with Dundalk - but feels it’s finally paying off.
The Wales Under-21 international was the Lilywhites left-field choice of goalkeeper under Stephen O’Donnell this season.
He made the permanent switch to Oriel Park from Brentford ‘B’, where he felt his development had reached the point where he needed a new challenge.
Naturally, Dundalk fans’ judgement of the youngster was on hold while he made his first steps in the senior game.
But with one full series of league games now chalked off, Shepperd is starting to catch the eye between the posts.
Not least after two remarkable saves to deny St Pat’s striker Eoin Doyle late on in Friday’s entertaining scoreless draw on O’Donnell’s return to Inchicore.
And he was also the Lilywhites hero when keeping Shamrock Rovers at bay in the recent 0-0 draw at Oriel Park.
Quizzed on the step up, Shepperd - from the Rhondda Valley in south Wales - said: “It’s been a big adjustment but I’ve learned so much so far.
“At Brentford B, you play such a wide variety of teams and in that sense it prepares you. But then it can’t get you all the way because they’re friendlies, it’s not a league.
“This is proper. This is what a lot of young boys need and I’m just grateful for the opportunity.
“I’ve learned so much in nine games which - no disrespect to Brentford B or 23s football - I wouldn’t have learned staying there.
“That aspect of my game has obviously come into question a lot more than it would have if I had stayed there.
“It’s all good, it’s all experience, to challenge yourself at this level. I’m just happy at the minute.”
Dundalk fans wouldn’t think twice about O’Donnell pitching a 21-year-old outfield player into action.
But the spotlight is always that bit more intense on the player when it’s a young goalkeeper being blooded.
“Yeah I understand that but I don’t really have too much thought about it,” said Shepperd. “I just try to play as best as I can.
“The same as a player in any position, once you get your chances you’ve got to work hard in training and games and make sure you do enough to keep the shirt.”
Only unbeaten Derry City have a better loss record than Dundalk whose only defeat came to derby rivals Drogheda United.
But they are the league’s draw specialists with six in their nine games - winning the other two - as they sit 11 points behind the table-topping Candystripes in fifth.
Shepperd said: “I think we can really push on. There have been a good couple of games where you think ‘if we had won, it wouldn’t have been unfair’.”
Ahead of Friday’s home clash with out-of-sorts Sligo Rovers, Dundalk boss Stephen O’Donnell wants to start turning those draws into wins.
O’Donnell said: “When you’re limiting teams to two goals in seven games, you’d like to think you’d have a number of victories in those seven matches.
“We have to get a little bit more cohesive and for our lads to realise what good players they are.”
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