Ex-labourer Stockdale eyes dream send-off at Wembley

May 17 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

Wembley beckons for Darlington this afternoon, but for David Stockdale it will just be another chapter in a remarkable career.

IF David Stockdale keeps a clean sheet at Spotland today, he and his Darlington team-mates will be heading for Wembley. Don’t bet against it. Not only because the Quakers goalkeeper has kept a club record 22 shut-outs already this term, but also because it would be entirely in keeping with his topsy-turvy career.

The brief highlights read: Huddersfield ball boy, saving a Wayne Rooney penalty for the Terriers’ academy side, released, Football League debut aged 16 for York City, relegation to the Conference, released over concerns about his weight, working on a building site as an unemployed footballer, homesickness and frustration at Darlington, Quakers player of the season, and now a possible play-off final before joining Fulham.

A man who does not turn 23 until September can hardly complain life has been dull.

The time since he was approached by the Cottagers has been typical. Stockdale’s imminent move – due on June 1 – is a badly-kept secret, so much so he now talks about it openly. Although his deal did not hang on it, the Leeds-born player spent an anxious Sunday glued to Setanta Sports waiting to see if he would be joining a Premier League or Championship club.

Stockdale’s Darlington career has been no less eventful, Dave Penney’s side dropping out of the automatic promotion places at the end of the regular season then defying the formbook with Ian Miller’s final-minute winner in last weekend’s play-off semi-final first leg against Rochdale, giving them a 2-1 lead to defend in today’s noon kick-off. While professional pride and gratitude towards the club which saved him from life as a labourer dictate Stockdale’s mind will be fully on the job in hand today, off the field he cannot hide his excitement about the future.

“I don’t know what to expect,” he admits. “It’s good for me because the club’s getting a decent deal. Andy Collett (Darlington’s goalkeeping coach) and Andy Oakes (who started 2007-08 as first-choice goalkeeper) have helped me. From this time last year I’ve come on 100% so it’s good for the club to get some money and for me to develop my career.

“It’s 95% agreed between the clubs but I’m not definitely a Fulham player.”

Such is the paucity of English Premier League goalkeepers that Stockdale can even dream of wearing the Three Lions. It sounds fanciful, but he has a decent role model.

“You’ve got to set your sights high, people might say too high but why not?” he says when asked if he can be first-choice at Craven Cottage.

“Look at Joe Hart, he came from Shrewsbury a few years ago. Realistically I’m not going in to play first choice but why not set your sights high?

“I went to Fulham to have a look round and the goalkeepers there were just unbelievable. I wasn’t nervous, just worried about going in there, because I’ve got to prove I’m as good as them.

“(Fulham manager) Roy Hodgson had other things on his mind, like keeping Fulham in the Premiership. So for him to come and see a signing that isn’t a £1m signing from Inter Milan, know where I’m from, what I’m doing, how big I am, how many clean sheets I’ve had, it just stuck in my head that I wanted to be at that club.”

Such managerial support has not always been a given. “There was a difference of opinion, shall we say, between me and the York manager, Billy McEwan,” Stockdale reveals. “Now he’s out of a job and I’m going to play for Fulham. But the York fans were brilliant, I’ve got nothing against the club.”

Life after the KitKat Crescent was miserable for a while, keeping his current success in perspective.

“My family are just happy I’m playing for Darlington because I was on a building site working as a brickie before I came here,” he says. “I had two months where I wasn’t getting paid so I had to find something.

“(York defender) David McGurk gave Andy Collett my number and said, ‘He’s a good keeper, he’s had problems at York, give him a ring.’ I went to Scotland on pre-season, impressed and they gave me a contract.”

Stockdale made eight appearances last season, his first at Neasham Road, and when Sam Russell was replaced by Oakes he was not expecting any more. “Sam Russell was a very good keeper and I really wasn’t dealing well with coming here,” he says.

“When the fans loved Sam Russell so much it was hard to make an impact. The gaffer wanted experienced people in. It was good to prove the gaffer wrong in a way – not a bad way.” Oakes was red-carded against Wrexham on the opening day and substitute Stockdale seized his chance.

“It’s been a whirlwind since,” he recalls. “I remember the first save I made, from a free-kick.

“Andy Oakes got sent off, I did well, he got injured, I got injured, he got in, he got injured, it was up and down like that.

“But he’s been one of the big influences on my career up to now. In terms of friendship, he has been brilliant – and his family. They steadied my ship and calmed me down a little.”

Even if he does not get to Wembley or play for Fulham, Stockdale has a claim to fame.

“When I played for Huddersfield’s academy we played Everton and Wayne Rooney played,” he recalls.

“I saved a penalty from him but he scored four after that. It was a blur. He was just one of them kids you see, you wouldn’t remember the name ordinarily but because he went as far as he did, you do.

“I just remember a small kid with big ears, a big lad, but short. I saved a penalty but it was just one of those things.”

He replicated the feat against Macclesfield’s Kevin McIntyre in September but Stockdale has a different repeat in mind now. “Would Rooney remember me? Not a chance,” he laughs.

“I wouldn’t mind if I saved another against him for Fulham, mind.”