Ahead of Saturday’s Football For A Fiver clash against Blackpool, we asked our Young Reds to send in questions for goalkeeper Dillon Phillips.
Dillon has been at Charlton since the age of eight and he took time to answer the ones sent in by nine-year-old Tobe Rees...
When did you know you first wanted to play in goal?
“I first knew I wanted to play in goal when I was about seven years old, playing for my local team Pegasus. We were standing in a circle one Saturday morning and the manager said “Who wants to play in goal?”. Nobody chucked their hand up apart from me so that was me and I’ve never looked back since. I have never ever scored a goal, I just try and keep them out at the other end.”
What is your most memorable save?
“My most memorable save for Charlton was probably in the youth team when I was 17 years old in an FA Youth Cup match vs Leicester at Welling United. It was a penalty save in the 80th minute to take us to extra time. We then scored a winner in extra time and then went on to beat Tottenham [in the next round] and ended up playing away at Old Trafford in front of a decent crow. So that’s probably my most memorable save. I’ve made a couple of okay ones this year, hopefully there’s a few more to come.”
Who is your best friend on the Charlton team?
“They’re all good lads, really. Two of my best friends who aren’t here anymore were Harry Lennon, who recently left, and Ollie Muldoon who left a while ago now. At the moment, I’ve known Chris Solly the longest and we room together now so I’d say Sols!”
How many hours a day do you train?
“We train four times a week. Normally, about an hour and a half a day. We have gym sessions on a Tuesday and a Thursday. At the moment, a few of us swim on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning as well, so I reckon I do about two and a half hours a day.”
What was your favourite subject at school?
“It’s a pretty obvious one but probably P.E. I wasn’t much good at anything else! I did woodwork too and I made a rocking horse for my end of Year 11 exam. I got an A in that. I actually only got a B in P.E. because my theory was so bad but I enjoyed P.E. the most.”