The Vital Interview: Jonathan Bond

THE LIFE of a backup goalkeeper isn't the most glamorous. You sit around and wait for your opportunity to come and then inevitably find yourself back on the bench when the number one is available again.

For Jonathan Bond, sitting on the bench is far from a pleasant experience.

'Sitting on the bench is horrible as a goalkeeper. If you`re starting a game you can get your head round it but sitting on the bench you have to be ready at all times but you hardly ever get on,' admits Bond.

With just three starts and one substitute appearance for the 'Orns, the 19 year-old has played most of his football out on-loan, his first experience of adult football coming at non-league Brackley Town:

'It was a massive culture shock going from the calm Saturday morning [with the youth team] where it`s mostly parents and family that turn up and it`s all about how you play, not necessarily the result, to suddenly a massively competitive environment where everyone is just fighting 100 per cent to win three points.'

And, on January 5, Bond came up against easily the most high-profile opposition of his fledging career as Gianfranco Zola's side travelled to Manchester to take on the reigning Premier League champions.

"I`ve always wanted to play against those players [Tevez, Silva, Dzeko, Balotelli et al]; that`s always where I`ve wanted to get to, so to be able to play against them so early on, when I`m young, was brilliant for me because it`s exactly where I want to get to."

Remember! This is just an extract from Saturday's official matchday programme, which will include a full, feature-length interview with Bond. Make sure you pick up a copy!