Andrew Mills relishing being Glentoran's number one 'keeper as Carrick Rangers visit The Oval
Andrew Mills says he is enjoying his role as Glentoran’s number one ‘keeper as the east Belfast aim to maintain their perfect start to the campaign.
The English shot-stopper has been in outstanding form, keeping four clean sheets in four league games as Declan Devine’s side sit top of the Sports Direct Premiership with maximum points.
Mills has stepped into the number one jersey following the summer departure of Dániel Gyollai to Hungarian outfit Kolorcity Kazincbarcika SC, producing a series of assured performances behind a Glens’ backline yet to concede a goal.
The 31-year-old joined Glentoran in July 2024 following a decade in Swedish football, with spells at Arnäs IF, Friska Viljor, IFK Östersund and Östersund FK, before committing his future to the club with a new 18-month contract in January.
Ever present in Glentoran’s opening four Sports Direct Premiership fixtures, Mills is determined to make the most of his opportunity and cement his place in the starting line-up.
He said: “Wearing the number one shirt at Glentoran is a huge honour and a responsibility I don’t take lightly. At a club of this size and standing, the standards are incredibly high and that means I have to keep proving myself week after week.
“The competition in the goalkeeping department is fierce, which is exactly how it should be. Peter Urminsky has come in with real pedigree from St Mirren and we’ve got some outstanding young goalkeepers pushing hard as well, so I’m fully aware that if I drop my levels there are players ready to step in. That’s the environment you want to be in as a goalkeeper because it demands the best of you every day.
“For me, the start of the season has been positive. I feel I’ve shown what I can bring to the team, but this is only the beginning. My goal is to build on that, to be consistent and to show that I can be the long-term first-choice goalkeeper at this club and help Glentoran challenge for trophies.”
Glentoran’s perfect start to the campaign began with a hard-fought win away at Portadown on the opening day, before successive home victories over Bangor and Glenavon and a commanding win at Seaview against Crusaders.
Six goals scored, four consecutive clean sheets and maximum points have underlined the Glens’ early momentum, yet Mills is quick to emphasise that nobody inside the dressing room is getting carried away as they host Carrick Rangers this afternoon.
“We’ve made a strong start and it’s pleasing to see four clean sheets and maximum points, but we all know it is only August,” he added.
"Nothing is decided at this stage of the season. Our focus has to be on consistency, keeping our standards high every single week and continuing to put points on the board.
“Carrick have started the season really strongly and they’ll come here full of confidence. They’ve strengthened well over the summer and added real quality to their squad and you can see that reflected in the results they’ve picked up already.
“They’ve shown they can score goals and they’ve shown they can grind out results when games are tight. With the experience of Stephen Baxter in charge they’ll be organised, disciplined and set up to make it difficult for us."