YOU need mental strength and belief to be a goalkeeper, so it’s just as well that Mark Travers has oodles of those qualities.
Man of the match on his Premier League debut for Bournemouth in 2019, the 22-year-old subsequently spent time on loan at Swindon Town.
He then made his third appearance for the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier against Serbia in March following injuries to Darren Randolph and Caoimhin Kelleher.
In the 68th minute, he was caught out of position and lobbed by Aleksandar Mitrovic, prompting a deluge of social media ridicule.
But the man from County Kildare did not buckle, and has this season emerged as first choice for a Bournemouth side flying high at the top of the Championship.
“Being strong mentally… it’s a huge part of the game,” says Travers, who joined the Cherries from Shamrock Rovers as a 17-year-old.
“A lot of the top athletes have a psychologist to push them and help them, because it is demanding and difficult being a sportsman. You know that every mistake will be scrutinised.
“Nobody is perfect. There are always going to be mistakes and goals going in that you should have stopped. But you have to put that behind you and make sure one mistake doesn't lead to two, three or four.
Brush it off, go again. Deal with it. It's not always easy as a footballer. You make mistakes, you're out the team, you can't get back in. As a keeper, especially, you can't just come on for 20 minutes at the end. That could be it for a while.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2021 - January 2022 من Late Tackle Football Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 2021 - January 2022 من Late Tackle Football Magazine.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
EURO 96 AN ALMOST PERFECT SUMMER
TOM GREEN RECALLS A TOURNAMENT WHICH CAPTURED THE ENTIRE COUNTRY'S IMAGINATION
GROUP GAMES
SAM SHEPPEY LOOKS AT HOW ENGLAND HAVE FARED AGAINST THEIR UPCOMING EURO 2024 FOES IN THE PAST
THE INCREDIBLE RISE OF KOBBIE MAINOO
CALLUM HUMPHREY HOW THE YOUNG MIDFIELDER HAS BLOSSOMED AT MANCHESTER UNITED AND COULD DO THE SAME FOR ENGLAND THIS SUMMER
GERMANY EYE FRESH SUMMER FAIRYTALE
KIT HOLDEN TAKES A LOOK AT THE PROSPECTS OF THE EURO 2024 HOSTS
PROGRAMME PERIL
JAKE GUNTON ON THE BATTLE FOR A FOOTBALL INSTITUTION TO STAY RELEVANT IN THE MODERN AGE
ENGLAND EXPECTS
ROBERT J WILSON ON THE THREE LIONS' BID FOR GLORY AFTER PREVIOUS EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP DISAPPOINTMENTS
PASSING THE BATON
NOTTS COUNTY FAN IAN KIRKE REFLECTS ON AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY AT MEADOW LANE...
CHEEKY CHARLIE
TOM GREEN LOOKS AT THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CHARLIE MITTEN, WHO WENT FROM BURMA TO BOGOTA VIA OLD TRAFFORD
HAPPY WITH OUR LOT
WATFORD FAN JONNY BRICK IS QUITE CONTENT WITH HIS TEAM NEVER GOING UP AND NEVER GOING DOWN...
JAMES RODRIGUEZ TEN YEARS ON
DANIEL MOFFAT LOOKS AT THE CAREER OF THE COLOMBIA STAR