Goalkeeper James Bittner waits almost 5,000 days to make debut

If patience is a virtue, that makes Plymouth Argyle backup goalkeeper James Bittner among the most virtuous men on the planet.

Bittner, 33, waited 4,991 days before finally getting a chance to start in a professional Football League match, having made the squad - on the bench - at Bournemouth all the way back in March of 2002.

His career has seen him move to a number of clubs since, but none of those teams afforded him a chance as a starter. That all changed when Plymouth Argyle first-choice 'keeper Luke McCormick picked up an injury, putting Bittner at the top of the team sheet for the first time in Football League action on Saturday.

Bittner wasn't too rusty from his 13-year spell on the sidelines, seeing Plymouth to a 2-1 win over York City. After the game, the aged new boy offered a rare sample of quotes, having finally had a first-hand view of the match.

"I started at Swindon, I went to Fulham in the Premier League, I've been in the Championship, League One and League Two, but always as a second or third choice, unfortunately," Bittner told reporters. "It's frustrating when you've been at the highest level and you've worked down and down and you think, 'Please just give me a chance.'"

He added, "It's hard for goalkeepers unless you get a break when you're young. But if you don't get that break early on as a goalkeeper it's hard, you're almost always seen as a second choice or a third choice."

Bittner couldn't quite manage a clean sheet on his debut, conceding a late goal.

"I'm a bit upset to concede the last-minute goal," he admitted. "It would have been nice to have a clean sheet, but three points is three points."