Enckelman wants to put blunder behind him and get back on the pitch

PETER ENCKELMAN will long be remembered for his bizarre and costly blunder in the Birmingham derby, but the Aston Villa goalkeeper yesterday insisted he just wants to bury the memory by getting back out on the pitch.

Goalkeeping errors always look bad, and Enckelman’s almost ranks up there with Gary Sprake who, playing for Leeds in 1970s, threw the ball into his own net against Liverpool. Then, the Liverpool fans immediately burst into a rendition of Careless Hands, but it was careless feet as far as Enckelman was concerned. His moment of footballing horror came when he let Olof Mellberg’s throw-in roll under his boot and referee David Elleray ruled it had got a touch on the way into the net.

Enckelman said on Aston Villa’s official website, www.avfc.co.uk: ‘‘It was a freak accident, but I did not touch the ball. I want to get out there. I’m already looking forward to getting out there and working again. First of all on the training field, then on Sunday playing the game against Everton.