CALLUM BURTON has vowed to make the most of his opportunity and prove he is good enough to be Wrexham's number one.
The 28-year-old arrived at The Racecourse from Plymouth Argyle in the summer but has been back-up to first choice goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
Restricted to four cup appearances this season, Burton made his first start for the Reds in League One on Saturday in the 1-0 defeat to Stockport County at Edgeley Park and produced a man of the match performance.
Burton got his chance after Okonkwo suffered a broken wrist in the 1-0 win at home to Mansfield Town the previous weekend and is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks.
Although sorry to see Okonkwo pick up an injury, Burton is hoping to give manager Phil Parkinson something to think about when his team-mate makes a full recovery.
"Arthur let me know first," said Burton. "He text me on Monday to say he'd had his scan results back and it was a fracture.
"Obviously I work with Arthur day in, day out and nobody wants injuries to their team-mates.
"Everyone is behind him in his recovery but from my perspective, I want to play games.
"The gaffer said in the summer that I am good enough to come here and play, and I would always be in contention.
"I have just got to make sure that now I have got my game-time, I prove why.
"I was in the same situation at Plymouth a few years ago when we were fighting at the top end of League One and I came in for that.
"I want to prove to everybody that I can be a number one and play as many games as I can, and play as well as I can to help the team."
Burton made a string of fine saves to thwart Stockport and he had no chance with Louie Barry's stunning strike in the first half which proved to be the winner.
Despite performing heroics to keep Wrexham in the game, it was all in a day's work as far as the stopper is concerned.
"At the end of the day that's my job and that's why I am there," said Burton.
"To try and help stop the ball from going in the net and give the lads a chance to get us back in the game.
"It was just about stopping their players but it was a moment of brilliance for the goal."
Wrexham were second best for large parts but the Reds remain third in the table after the five-game unbeaten run in the league came to an end.
"We knew it was going to be a tough game," added Burton.
"The gaffer spoke to the new lads about the rivalry with Stockport and I was aware of that anyway, with the teams playing against each other in different league the last few years.
"We started slowly and they put pressure on us. We grew into the game but they defended really well and made it really difficult for us."
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