Harry Sharp knows chances in the Dundee first team don’t come around often – when they do, you have to take them.
The young goalkeeper certainly did that at Livingston after he saved a crucial first-half penalty to help his side to a big victory.
Only a few weeks ago, the 22-year-old was warming the bench for Dunfermline in the Championship.
He returned to his parent club this month and swiftly moved from third choice to man between the sticks.
With No 1 Trevor Carson out at Kilmarnock, Sharp was called upon as a sub when Adam Legzdins went off at Kilmarnock.
And with Carson missing again at Livingston, the youngster made his first Premiership start since Mark McGhee was in charge at Dens Park.
He got his chance and he took it with manager Tony Docherty singling the goalie out for praise post-match.
“Every chance I get I am delighted to be playing for Dundee and I will give my all,” Sharp said.
“It’s always good to get back in the team and I will just keep plugging away and we will see where that takes me.”
Penalty homework
For the penalty save, home work paid off. Though, he was frustrated not to make it two penalty stops when Tete Yengi beat him from the spot in the second half.
“I was delighted with the penalty save,” Sharp added.
“I stood up as long as I could, waited for the strike and stopped it. And luckily the boys have dealt with the rebound too.
“I felt confident going into it. I’d done my research with the goalkeeping coach, Alan Combe, and it’s paid off.
“I was quite confident before the second one but unfortunately it has just sneaked in.
“They changed their penalty taker but it didn’t have any effect on me.
“I thought it was going to get overruled personally.
“I don’t think either of the penalties were actually penalties. Owen Dodgson made the tackle on Joel Nouble and he went down quite easily.
“And the first one was actually outside the box.”
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