COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Donovan Ricketts is no stranger to the LA Galaxy but returning to the club and immediately being tasked to start after three years away was a peculiar experience for the Jamaican goalkeeper.
Sure, the jerseys remain relatively similar—aside from the three extra stars added since his departure—and seven teammates remain from his time with the club, but despite all that, Ricketts admitted to feeling a bit like a rookie when he took the field before the Galaxy’s 3-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
“It was a weird feeling. In the back of my mind, I felt like a rookie,” Ricketts told LAGalaxy.com. “Being back here and walking through the locker room, it felt strange. It’s much different than when I left. I felt like a rookie at first but once we got on the field, everything fell into place.”
Once the jitters wore off, Ricketts put forth a confident performance in net on Saturday. Aside from Marcelo Sarvas’ goal in the 11th minute, the Jamaican goalkeeper put forth a confident effort as he commanded his penalty area and came up big with a clutch save late in the second half to help LA hold their lead for good.
“The conditions were tough to play in,” Ricketts said. “In the first half, they were all over us, but we came in at halftime and held our composure then we came up with a plan and we executed.”
