WHEN Martin Dubravka took his seat in the media suite at Newcastle United’s training ground, he fielded more than 20 minutes of questions from journalists desperate to find more out about him.

He was relaxed, regularly smiled and delivered an assured display – almost as confident as two weekends ago when he really made his mark at St James’ Park by turning in a man of the match display to keep out Manchester United.

Dubravka is set to make his second appearance at Bournemouth this afternoon when he will look to produce a repeat performance in his bid to turn a potentially life-changing loan move into a full-time £4m switch this summer.

That is the challenge facing the 29-year-old, with his stock is already at an all-time high following his exceptional display in keeping out Sanchez, Mata and Co when Newcastle won 13 days ago.

“The manager (Benitez) told me I should buy some kind of lottery ticket and I would win after that,” said Dubravka. “He spoke to me many times before the game to help me.

“He knew it was a big game for me, my debut. We knew that nobody believed we could take three points. I said to everyone ‘you never know, you can always beat the best teams if you fight for each other’. That is why we won.

“Ask him why he signed me? He knows I like to play football and I have watched this league many times, the keeper is almost like a libero. In modern football you need to play with the ball, not just kick it long.”

Being a ball-playing goalkeeper is certainly fashionable; it is why Joe Hart was replaced at Man City and also one of the main reasons Jordan Pickford was signed by Everton from Sunderland for £30m.

Dubravka’s ability with his feet stems from a youth spent trying to score and create goals rather than save them in his Slovakian homeland – before family history played a part in his route to the top.

The 29-year-old said: “I liked to play as a winger, then my father told me he was a keeper and he explained that my grandfather was a keeper too. I was like, ‘why am I playing on the right wing? I want to be a goalkeeper as well?’ I was only about seven. I also played hockey.

“When I was young I just wanted to be out on the pitch playing with my friends. Then when I was 15 I started to play indoor football because I liked it. I got a personal coach when I was 15 and that helped me a lot.

“Sometimes when there is something wrong with my hands I would play as a midfielder, the coach would say ’why are you a goalkeeper?’ I had to explain because my dad was, my grandfather was …

“He said ‘maybe you could be a midfielder’ and I said ‘no, no, it’s too late now.”

Dubravka’s career has taken him from Slovakia to Denmark and then on to Sparta Prague, before Benitez lured him to Tyneside.

He said: “I didn’t play in a small team in Slovakia (Zilina), it was the best team! But I played in a small club in the Czech Republic, so to be here now after two and a half years feels like a big step.

“You are used to living a certain type of life, then suddenly you are in a new country with new possibilities. This has completely changed my life. From the beginning, you feel everyone around the city has the feeling for football.

“Everyone wants to be a hero of a club, of course. I have to take this step by step from the beginning, I can’t fly in the clouds. If you think things are going to go well from the beginning then they won’t.

“My girlfriend, Lucia, sent a message straight after the Manchester United game saying she was so proud. My father was very happy also. My family are huge football fans.

“My father came over for the Crystal Palace game while I was on the bench, I met him the airport with his friends after the game.

“They were like ‘wow, we are so happy you are now in the best league in the world’. My mother can’t watch the games, she has to have her hands in her face, she will only watch highlights later.”

Dubravka – who has a picture of Petr Cech on the inside of his locker for inspiration - only found out he was facing Manchester United a couple of hours beforehand, so he had no time for nerves.

He is determined to be a success at Newcastle United, just like the late and great Pavel Srnicek. "Pavel called me when he was at Sparta Prague and I was in the Slovak league at the time,” admitted Dubravka.

“He said: 'Let’s talk about options. Maybe you could come to Sparta?' But in that time Tomas Vaclik, who now plays for Basle, he was there at Sparta. They said they would send me on loan to a lower league, so I said: 'Unfortunately, I can't come because I don't want to just be staying in the league.'

“I had won three titles in Slovakia in a row, and I don't want to play for a side fighting relegation. But I told him: 'Thank you for the nice thought. I appreciate it. You had an amazing career.'

“He also gave me a trophy ten years ago for best goalkeeper, and told me some very nice things like: 'Just work hard and one day you will play in the best league in the world.' It was an amazing day, an amazing experience, and I appreciated it."