Charlton loanee Declan Rudd has been speaking about his decision to join the League One side on loan from Norwich.
Rudd joined Charlton on a season-long loan from Norwich this summer, and has played every minute of League One action for the Addicks this season so far.
The move was seen as an odd one by many, with some feeling that Rudd was the best goalkeeper at Norwich. John Ruddy has had two poor campaigns on a personal level and some felt that this season would be Rudd’s time to shine.
However, Alex Neil decided that Rudd would be 3rd choice, by bringing in Michael McGovern too. This led to Rudd asking Neil to leave the club, despite impressing at times in the Premier League last season.
Speaking to London News Online, Rudd said this:
I think when I came in we had our best month in the Premier League in terms of points collected and goals not conceded.
Then we had a couple of injuries and went on a run of five straight defeats.
We were conceding quite a few goals and I did feel at the time that possibly Norwich were waiting for the opportunity to change things again. I made a mistake away at Aston Villa for one goal and the next game I was out of the team. That’s how football goes, doesn’t it? It can be one thing in a game and it can change everything.
But I took a lot from those 11 games. I gained a lot of experience. We won at Old Trafford and I played at White Hart Lane against Spurs. It’s just a shame it came to an end so quickly. I got man of the match for one of the TV games. But the team hit bad form and things always get changed.
With goalkeepers it is such a different position to any other on the pitch. If goals are being conceded as a team a lot of the emphasis is always put on a goalkeeper – and sometimes there isn’t anything you can do with a lot of the goals.
Rudd has supported Norwich his entire life and been in the academy since he was eight, but he’s beginning to realise that regular football is more important than loyalty.
This season is about me putting myself out there and making a name for myself as an actual firstchoice keeper.
I’ve been known as a number two at Norwich, my hometown club and the team I supported as a kid – but that novelty can only last a certain amount of time when you are not playing football.
