HAVING SIGNED UP for a second spell at West Ham last Wednesday, Darren Randolph found himself back between the sticks in a Premier League game over the weekend.
The Ireland goalkeeper agreed to join the Hammers from Middlesbrough on a three-year-deal — having previously spent two years there before departing for Boro in 2017.
As Lukasz Fabianski is out injured, manager David Moyes named Bray native Randolph in his starting line-up to face Everton at London Stadium on Saturday.
Assured on the few occasions he was called into action, the 32-year-old had to pick the ball out of the net when Dominic Calvert-Lewin cancelled out Issa Diop’s opener a minute before half-time.
The game ended 1-1 but Randolph is glad to be once again plying his trade in the top flight.
“It was very good to be back,” he said. “In a weird way, because there are so many of the same faces here, it doesn’t really feel like I’ve been away!
“I’ve been around the training ground before. There’ve been a few new faces in the team, but I’ve played in the stadium before, so there weren’t as many nerves as I probably expected there to be.”
“It was unfortunate obviously for Lukasz [Fabianski] to be injured, but I’m just happy to be back and able to play.