Cornell ready to fight for No.1 jersey

David Cornell in action against Blackburn

ONE telephone call was all it took to convince David Cornell his future would be best spent with Athletic, writes MATTHEW CHAMBERS.

After seven seasons around the first team at boyhood idols Swansea without cracking the starting line-up, the former Wales under-21 international was looking for a new base - one that didn’t involve sitting on the subs’ bench, something confirmed by loans to St Mirren, Hereford and Portsmouth.

When Athletic’s goalkeeping coach Anthony White got in touch, the fact that he knew about Cornell was a major factor in his decision to move to Oldham.

“I had the feeling it wasn’t just a courtesy call,” Cornell said. “It made me feel I was coming to fight for a spot.”

Cornell is already relishing his battle with Joel Coleman for the number one shirt: “If I’m honest, I wouldn’t want to just walk into a team,” he said. “I want to feel that I deserve to be there. Joel has done well and you can see he’s a good goalkeeper. I have come to try to push him to become a better goalkeeper, and vice versa. Then whoever is performing better starts the season. That’s the way it is.”

One feature of Cornell’s game is his incessant command to those in front of him. Being vocal concentrates his mind as well as those of defenders, he believes.

“I am constantly barking at everything,,” he said. “For the back four in front of me it is good, as they constantly know where everyone is.”

Though things didn’t work out as well as they could at Swansea, Cornell said he left the club on good terms: “I was disappointed. I understood I wasn’t going to be playing week-in, week-out, but there were a couple of games in the cup where I could prove to the manager I could play in that league. I am disappointed I didn’t get that chance.

“But there are no grudges. It’s a club I love to bits. There’s no regret, and now it’s time to make a new home at Oldham.”