Kofi Balmer says while unfortunate circumstances led to him breaking into the Motherwell team, it’s up to him to keep hold of the shirt.
With Dan Casey shown a straight red card for handling Mykola Kukharevych’s shot three minutes into the second half of Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to St Mirren, Ebiye Moses was sacrificed and Balmer thrown on for his Premiership debut.
The 24-year-old Northern Irishman has patiently waited for his chance – that was only his second appearance since signing from Crystal Palace’s Academy in June.
Defender Balmer started and scored in Motherwell’s 3-0 win over Edinburgh City to kick off their Premier Sports Cup group stages back in July, but has been cooling his heels since.
“It was good. It was long-awaited, I had to be patient for it and thankfully it happened,” said Balmer.
“The circumstances, with Dan getting suspended, obviously wasn’t ideal, but that happened, I came on, I had to do a job, and I think I did that.
“I think now it’s up to me to perform, do well in training, get the spot, and hopefully keep it.
“You’re always fighting for a position. The gaffer says if you get the shirt, you have to play well to keep it.
“I think that’s all on me, I have to keep concentrating and try to perform the best I can.
“You always have to be ready. You never know when you’re going to get your opportunity, so for me it was not to lose the head, not to throw the toys out the pram, I just had to be patient.
“I was always ready to come on and take the opportunity, and the manager was talking to me, saying I would get my chance.
“That’s good for me as well, because it keeps me in the right frame of mind to always be ready when the opportunity comes.
“Saturday probably came on quicker than I expected, but at the same time I had done all my preparation, so I was ready to come on and do the job that I had to do.”
Having started his career with Ballymena United back in 2016, Balmer moved to Larne, and from there to Crystal Palace’s youth set-up, during which time he was farmed out on loan to Port Vale and Wimbledon.
Working with France World Cup hero Patrick Vieira at Palace was a major boost for the young stopper, but Balmer says there are a number of people who have made a major impact.
That has led him to Scotland, to Glasgow, and Balmer reckons he’s in the right place.
“Patrick Vieira was a huge one for me, the kind of person he is, he’s huge in the football world, but he has so much experience and he was there to help you,” he said.
“Someone who has won the World Cup and everything, anything he says to you, you’re going to take it on board and use it to try and progress in your career.
“Back home, my first manager David Jeffrey was a huge name back home, and if he didn’t give me that opportunity I probably wouldn’t have this opportunity to be here.
“I’ve had loads of managers that have helped me along the way, so I feel that every club I’ve been at there has been someone there who has had a big impact on my career.”
Balmer added: “I’ve really enjoyed it at Motherwell. I wanted to come and play men’s football every week, this is a great spot for me, it’s a great opportunity, and I feel that Glasgow as well is very similar to back home.
“I think I’ve settled in well, and it’s good for your family to come over. It’s a 20-minute flight, so it’s handy for me and the family, but I think the move as a whole has been good for me so far.
“One of my best mates, Caolan [Boyd-Munce], is at St Mirren, I was always on to him and he said I would enjoy it, that it would be good experience for me.
“It’s a good place to be, because he was in the same position as me, where he wasn’t really playing a lot, and then when he came over here he got his international call-up and he’s progressed and shot on from there.”
Balmer is expected to make his first Premiership start when Motherwell travel to face Hibs at Easter Road on Saturday, and expects a challenge in Edinburgh.
He said: “I expect a tough game, every game is going to be tough, but we have to prepare right, look at the game-plan and stick with that.
“We can’t worry too much about them, we have to worry about ourselves, and do what we’re good at. Hopefully that puts us in a good stead to win the game.
“It’s important to get three points. Even the game against St Mirren on Saturday there, it was important for us to bounce back after Aberdeen and we did that, so we want to take that momentum into Saturday and get the three points, and take the break and rest up.
“Where we are is a brilliant place to be, it’s what you ask for. You want the cup runs and to do well in the league, and I think we’re doing that.
“We’ve got a good enough and a big enough squad that we can rest people, chop and change. I think we’ve got the momentum, so hopefully after the international break we keep on pushing.”
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