Source: FOOTYMAD
Rovers fans have a favouite in Dumbaya
Ii can take years for a player to become a fans' favourite. Some never do But it has happened virtually overnight for Doncaster Rovers' right-back Mustapha Dumbuya in only his second season,"It has surprised me to be honest," said Dumbuya. "Every time I get the ball the crowd is urging me do things. "But I'm always focused. Football is a team game at the end of the day. I'm not really all about myself. When I get the ball I am always looking around for other players."Dumbuya has got an early chance to impress following Jamnes Chambers' close season knee operation and has taken it with both hands."My match fitness is getting there and I think I've fitted into the team well," he said. ""It's easy playing for Donny - the way that we play football - as long as you know how to play football. "I didn't really play last year; it was a sort of learning curve. I've been able to put into practice some of the things I learnt watching games."The higher up the Football League you go the faster the game becomes. But I'm pretty quick so the pace of the game, or the opposing players, hasn't been a problem."But whether a player has got pace or not at this level, you have always got to treat opponents with respect. A player might not have a lot of pace but he could be an intelligent footballer."Every game for me is like a cup final. I try and play my best and work as hard as I can both for myself and the team and if I do that then hopefully the manager will keep me in his plans."When everybody is fit we have some quality right-backs here with Jimmy O'Connor - though he played centre-back a lot of last season - and James Chambers, who is on the brink of coming back after a knee operation."Competition like that is bound to keep you on your toes. But that would still be the case if I was the only right-back here because at the end of the day, I'm a professional. "I play at a decent level and I can't afford to take my foot of the gas and I don't think that I ever do."Despite his impressive start to life in the Championship, the Londoner says that there is more to come."I'm still learning and I think that I will still be on a learning curve for the next four or five seasons because I didn't have any football academy experience before I came here and I feel that I'm playing catch-up all the time. "My hope is for the team to get into the play-offs and hopefully I can be a part of that and kick on from there really."
