PERS. INFORMATION
Name: Dougie Blight
Date of birth: 31/08/2007
Place of birth: English
Nationality: English
Language: English
Club: Port Vale FC
Favourite position: Goalkeeper
Favourite foot: Right footed
CLUB HISTORY
| Club | Years |
|---|---|
| Port Vale FC | Youth – |
INTERVIEW
Introduce yourself…
Hi, I’m Dougie and I am a goalkeeper for Port Vale.
At what age did you decide you wanted to specialise as a goalkeeper?
I decided to specialise as a goalkeeper when I joined Everton at under 7s going to under 8s.
How do you balance patience and ambition as a developing goalkeeper?
I feel like patience is part of goalkeeping because you won’t always be playing as a young keeper, however ambition is believing that you will get an opportunity and when you get it you have to take it.
You came through the youth system at Port Vale. What first attracted you to the club?
What attracted me to the club was that they were willing to give me an opportunity after being out of academy football, it felt they believed in my ability as a goalkeeper.
Do you remember your first day at the academy? What stood out to you?
My first day at the academy was at age 16 as I joined at scholar age, I just remember the quality being that much higher than what I had been experiencing the years before when I wasn’t in academy football.
Was there a specific moment in your youth career when you realised you could make it professionally?
The moment I remember I might be able to make it was the first time I trained with the first team in 2024 around Christmas time.
Who in the first team helped you settle in the most?
When I first started training with the first team Connor Ripley really welcomed me with open arms to gain confidence in training with the first team however as of late, I get along with Jesse Deborah and the goalkeeper coach Gary Walsh has given me self-confidence as a goalkeeper.
How do you handle the pressure that comes with being a first-team goalkeeper?
Me personally I don’t really feel the pressure because I believe if I wasn’t good enough I wouldn’t be there so I have to believe in my abilities to train with the first team.
What are your personal goals for the next season?
My personal goals for next season is to really push the keepers that are there and prove myself as someone who deserves to be there.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I’m hoping to be playing at the highest level that I possibly can playing week in week out.
