Kevin Kilbane heaped lots of praise on Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka ahead of the Magpies facing Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
The BBC pundit shared that he thought the shot-stopper’s consistency had made him a ‘standout feature’ for the club and that he had been an incredible signing especially when you consider his price tag.
Kilbane also credited Dubravka with helping the Magpies rack up some very positive results in November which ended up seeing Rafa Benitez named Manager of the Month.
“His shot stopping has been excellent since he has come to the club, he has had to face a lot of shots don’t get me wrong, but I think in general he has been a great signing for Newcastle,” said Kilbane on BBC One’s Football Focus (12:33, Saturday December 15).
“I think performance wise, the performances they got out of the team, in general through November was down to the performances he put in his self individually to get those results for the manager of the month of course Rafa Benitez.
“I think positional sense he has been very very good, it’s a bargain when you look at the amount of money that is being spent these days as well, as £4million, it’s an incredible signing for Newcastle.
“Great bit of business for them and his consistency has been a standout feature for Newcastle.”
OPINION
There is no Newcastle fan that will disagree with Kilbane’s verdict on Dubravka. The pundit may be on the brink of running out of superlatives to describe the shot-stopper but the Magpies player deserves all the praise he can get. The 29-year-old has been a sensation since arriving at the club from Sparta Prague last January on loan, and it was imperative that the club permanently secured his services in the summer. Considering the Magpies are battling the threat of relegation, to some degree, Dubravka is worth his weight in gold. The 29-year-old effectively earns his side points that they may not pick up if someone else was between the sticks. Dubravka has played 16 times this season, registering four clean sheets and conceding 22 goals in the process. While his stats aren’t easy to drool over if you consider the teams the Magpies have played this season and the pressure their goal has been under as a result, it makes you realise another goalie probably would have let it way more than the Slovakian has.
