Newcastle United defender Paul Dummett has issued a defiant message to his doubters, declaring that he has been ‘written off’ many times.
The Wales international has been dropped for the last few games in favour of Ciaran Clark, after starting the season as a first choice centre half. However, captain Jamaal Lascelles’ injury last weekend has opened the door for him to return.
“I have been written off many times in my career,” he told The Chronicle. “Being dropped is just a setback you will get at times, it is how you respond to it.
“Football can change very quickly. One game you win well and play well, the next you lose and you are out in the cold again. That’s why we all love football I think. The highs and the lows it can give you are unique.”
OPINION
It’s strange to think that Dummett is 28 years of age now, because you kind of still consider him the young local lad making the step-up to the first team. However, he is now a veteran of 178 appearances for the Magpies [Source: Transfermarkt]. Plus, he’s really not been that bad this season. It was almost as if head coach Steve Bruce punished him for the Leicester City embarrassment, where he was shifted out to left back in a back four because of a lack of available personnel. Obviously he struggled in that game, as the whole Newcastle team did, but when he has been playing as a centre back this campaign he has been very good. He’s been unfortunate of late because Clark and Federico Fernandez have come in and done very well. But he replaced Lascelles against Bournemouth and did very well. Plus, the statistics indicate that he should replace the Englishman next time out. As per WhoScored.com, Dummett is currently averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 4.2 clearances per game, while he is only being dribbled past 0.1 times. Really, he’s got to be given another chance by Bruce.
