Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow has revealed his determination to stay at the club this summer.
The ‘keeper joined the Magpies from Nottingham Forest in 2014 but has only made 58 appearances for the club since.
The 27-year-old, who currently earns £25,000-per-week at St. James Park (Spotrac), is set to be second-choice this season after the Toon signed Martin Dubravka on a permanent deal.
However, Darlow doesn’t want to leave the club this summer, he want’s to fight for his first-team place.
“I think Martin coming in and doing so well last season, he’s obviously the main man, so it’s about pushing him and helping him, but also selfishly trying to push past him,’ Darlow told the Shields Gazette.
“It’s a different situation to the one I’ve been in in the past, but it’s one I’m relishing. Hopefully, I can do my best and show what I’ve got.
“We’ve got an abundance of keepers here, but, as far as I know, I’ll be staying at Newcastle. I love the club, I love the fans and St James’s is a great place to play football. It’s always packed out, and it’s unbelievable to play there, so it’s a place I wouldn’t leave in a rush.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give here and I want to prove that.”
OPINION
Karl Darlow’s determination deserves credit, he obviously wants to work hard and prove that he’s got what it takes to play for Newcastle, but he really should reconsider his desire to stay at the club. When the 27-year-old joined the Toon from Nottingham Forest in 2014, he did so along with current club captain Jamaal Lascelles, he had built a reputation for being one of the best young goalkeepers in the football league and big things were expected of him. However, appearing just 58 times for the club since then probably isn’t what he was expecting and he hasn’t developed as much as people hoped he would have. Just look at how Lascelles has developed after making the same move, he’s now the first name on the teamsheet and is the club captain. For Darlow’s sake, he should look at moving on in order to resurrect his career, as the move to St. James Park has stalled it somewhat.