Plymouth Argyle did something AFC Bournemouth couldn't with eye-catching EFL debutant | OneFootball

James Bittner was given his first start in the EFL by the Pilgrims at 33-years-old

It took James Bittner 13 years after first being named in a match day squad to make his EFL debut, with the goalkeeper finally being given the nod by Plymouth Argyle in 2015.

The shot-stopper had been on the books of Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers as a youth, and was named on the bench during his time at the Cherries without ever donning the gloves in a first-team match.

From there, Bittner swept along the non-league circuit in the south, taking in Exeter City, Torquay United and Woking among others, before establishing himself as a regular at Salisbury City.

At the age of 32 he was back in the big time, with John Sheridan drafting him as a backup option at Home Park, before he finally got his chance to shine at the age of 33, making him one of the oldest debutants in EFL history.

James Bittner got a second shot at playing in the EFL with Plymouth Argyle deal

With Luke McCormick the regular between the sticks, Argyle needed someone capable of offering competition as a number two, while also knowing they were unlikely to be getting much game time in league action.

Having been in goal when the Greens were in the Championship, McCormick was trusted to help Sheridan and his side push towards the play-offs, with Bittner’s arrival unlikely to have him worrying about his position within the first-team squad.

“He knows the situation – that Luke’s going to be number one, but I think he would be a really good stand-in if anything happens to Luke,” Sheridan said at the time.

“I have asked about him, and people have spoken highly of him. Warren (Feeney) spoke really highly of him, so he is a solid backup.

“He was doing a little bit of coaching this morning (in training), but Rhys Wilmot is the goalkeeper coach, so he will come in primarily as a ‘keeper, and we want him to try and get himself in the first team.”

During the year to come, Bittner tasted just 45 minutes of action for the Greens after coming on for the stricken McCormick in a 1-1 draw with Morecambe at Home Park.

While his game time was limited, his professionalism was never in doubt, and as Derek Adams came in to replace Sheridan in the dugout, the experienced number two earned the right to stick around for another season at Home Park.

Plymouth Argyle handed James Bittner something that AFC Bournemouth failed to do

That decision would then lead to Bittner’s first ever league start coming at the age of 33, nearly 5000 days after being named on the bench for Bournemouth as a young whippersnapper, with McCormick once again ruled out through injury.

Making the trip to Bootham Crescent, the goalkeeper must have been a bag of nerves and excitement as he finally got to make his bow in the EFL, with his years of hard work in the lower reaches of the football pyramid finally coming to fruition.

And that moment in the sun couldn’t have gone much better, with a 2-1 win over the Minstermen in the bag, although a 99th-minute strike from current Ipswich Town loanee Ben Godfrey denied him that elusive clean sheet, something he rued after the final whistle.

"I might try and claim 90 minutes as a full debut with a clean sheet. It was 99 minutes!" he told Sky Sports News after the game.

"I wasn't happy when the fourth official put up 10 minutes of added time. But three points is three points and it was nice to get the first game out of the way after a long, long wait.”

In his mid-thirties, Bittner must have felt like the day would never come where he was named in the starting XI for a match in the top four tiers, with his journey from the top to the bottom and back again finally proving dividends.

He continued: "It felt longer than 4000 days, I must be honest. I was wondering if it would ever come, but I'm glad for the opportunity. I felt a bit rusty in the first half but it was good in the end.

"I was thinking after all these years that it would be just my luck that something would happen on the Thursday or Friday, that would deny me the opportunity.

"I don't think at my age I can wait another 4000 days so I'm hoping the next one comes a bit quicker. I have to wait and see what the situation is with Luke. Hopefully, for him, it's not too bad."

In the end, that proved to be Bittner’s one and only start for the Pilgrims, before leaving for Newport County the following summer.

During his time with the Exiles, the glovesman took to the field twice in League Two, with the first being against the club that gave him his big break in the EFL, as he replaced the dismissed Joe Day between the sticks in a clash with Argyle in October 2016.

One more appearance during Day’s suspension was all he had to show for his efforts in the Football League, but no one can fault his resilience, determination and professionalism during his career, with his love for the game clear for all to see.

Cheltenham Town, Barnsley and Bristol Rovers will have all seen the shot-stopper become part of their coaching staff in recent seasons, and what better role-model to learn from than a man who dedicated his life to the game, and finally got his just rewards.