New goalkeeper Tomas Holy is happy to be Paul Lambert’s first choice for the position but admits he would rather not be wearing the number one shirt.
Holy, who rejected a new contract at Gillingham to join Town on a free transfer in the summer, explained: "I have to say it is not my perfect number and I wanted to have a different number — 23 — but Andre [Dozzell] wears that.
"Of course, I respect the fact that it is his number and if he doesn’t want to change it for any other number I understand. I was given number one but for me it is second best.”
But the man from the Czech Republic insisted: "I don’t have one single thing to complain about. I’m really happy with everything here. The training is great because every day we have goalkeeper time, 30, 40 or even 60 minutes just for ourselves.
"With all due respect to Gillingham, last year we didn’t have that and I appreciate it very much.
"I am pleased with every single save I make and I would have been a lot happier at Peterborough on Saturday if I had made two more saves and kept a clean sheet. The first was a great header but I’m not happy about any conceded goal.
"Also, my coordination is not the best because of my size. I have to work on it every single day and I imagine that will the case for the rest of my career.
"Has it improved since I came here? I think you'll have to ask the goalkeeping coach, Jimmy Walker, that question. I feel good but still not good enough, not perfect, so I still have to work on it.”
Holy made it clear he regards on-loan Wolves keeper Will Norris, whose only first team opportunity so far came in last week’s 3-1 Carabao Cup first round defeat at Luton, as a serious rival for the senior shirt.
He added: "It will not be easy to be the first team goalkeeper, like it was at Gillingham. When Will came in I said to myself ‘Oh my God, he is so good’ and now he is breathing on my back as he waits for his chance.
"But I think it is great for both of us because we will press each other. We are both working hard on everything, striving to be better than before. He wants to be goalkeeper number one but so do I.
"The competition between us will make us both better. I am 100 per cent sure he will get other chances, especially in cup games, but I hope I can say this, hopefully not in league games.
"It’s up to me to turn in good performances, so the gaffer will not have a reason to change it. I must focus on my job.”
The modest Holy also praised the man he has replaced, Polish international Bartosz Bialkowski, who has returned to the Championship with Millwall on a season-long loan, continuing: "I’m not sure it is possible to replace him because he was three years in a row the club’s best player.
"But I swear I’m going to do my best to try to replace him. I know that it’s going to be really tough. But it is a big pressure and a challenge for me, and I think that will help to bring out the best in me.”
Holy also had a pat on the back for skipper Luke Chambers, who followed up his error that gifted Sunderland a point in the first home game of the season by heading in a last-gasp leveller at London Road at the weekend to earn a 2-2 draw with Peterborough.
He said: "You know, we are just human beings and everyone makes mistakes. It can happen to anyone, youngsters or the most experienced players in the squad, and at any moment.
"Chambo was entitled to his celebration on Saturday because he did a brilliant job with the goal.”
And he had words of encouragement for fellow summer recruit James Norwood, who scored his first Town goal at Peterborough but saw a later spot-kick saved.
"It was only a matter of time before James opened his account and I’m 100 per cent sure it is only the first of many goals he will score this season.
"When I see him working on the training ground I can see he is going to score many more.
"He practices penalties every single day on the training ground. I cannot see what is going on in his head but I think that technically he didn’t hit it well on Saturday.
"It wasn’t the best of strikes, but there is no doubt in my mind that the next time we get a penalty he will take it again and score. I am absolutely certain of that.”