Goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell says he relished being rushed in for his first Championship appearance for almost nine years to help Derby County beat Charlton Athletic. The veteran who has been on the books of 16 different club across his 20-year professional career was called up for his Rams debut on Tuesday, at the age of 37, to deputise for Jacob Widell Zetterstrom. The Sweden international was ruled out less than 30 minutes before kick-off because of illness, leaving O'Donnell to step up for a game in the second tier for the first time since playing for Rotherham against Derby in May 2017. "It felt like a bit of a whirlwind," O'Donnell told BBC Radio Derby. "But more than anything I'm buzzing that we managed to hold out for the win because it's a really tough place to come."

Source: BBC January 21, 2026 22:14 UTC