Joe Lumley on settling in quickly and discovering new surroundings at Doncaster Rovers

“I couldn’t even tell you what the street is like that I’m on.”
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Hopefully new Doncaster Rovers keeper Joe Lumley found his way back to his hotel after making his debut in the draw against Sunderland.

The goalkeeper had little time to take in his surroundings after his last minute move to the club on an emergency loan from Queens Park Rangers.

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And his goal now is to settle in quickly - and not just in his temporary accommodation.

Joe LumleyJoe Lumley
Joe Lumley

“I had a similar situation about a month ago when I got a phonecall from the QPR manager about Gillingham and I was in Gillingham the next day,” Lumley said.

“It came about quickly but I knew what I needed to do and I shot up the M1 straight away.

“The whole club has been great for me and really helped me to settle in.

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“Hopefully I’ll be playing more than two games here but we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.

“You’ve got to get to know the lads really quickly. I was non-stop talking through the game so I’ve got to know every player even though I’ve only been here for two days.

“Although there’s no fans, there’s still a load of adrenaline and there’s pressure on you to win.”Lumley made a positive impression on his debut for Rovers. While not unduly troubled by Sunderland, he handled shots well and looked commanding and confident between the sticks.

Though emergency loans are agreed on a week to week basis, it is likely Lumley will remain with Rovers until January, when a longer term solution can be reached.

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And he would relish the prospect of regular matches for the club.

“100 per cent,” he said when asked if he would be keen to stick around at the Keepmoat.

“If that is an option for me, hopefully I can play as many games as I can before January and see what happens from there.

“I’m here to help the team win games first and foremost.

“Secondly it’s my personal development and you can’t beat playing.

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“It’s good right now because we’ve got games coming up thick and fast.

“All I want to do is play football and wherever I’m at, I want to win.”

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