Life as a Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper is not easy. With some of the fantastic players that have graced the shirt, expectations are high.

Whether that be England number one Paul Robinson, Brad Friedel or the much-loved Thomas Kaminski, there is pressure between the sticks at Ewood Park. Especially, when you're brand new to the country.

Leopold Wahlstedt has been patient and waited his turn. He wasn't thrust straight in by Jon Dahl Tomasson, with Aynsley Pears understandably seeing himself as number one.

But football is sometimes about timing and 'luck', as Wahlstedt describes it. Pears' injury has opened the door for the Swedish goalkeeper and he has taken that chance.

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A brilliant save against Cardiff City was the high point. His mistake against Millwall a reminder of how delicate the balance can be. But errors are natural in football, they're just more costly when you're the man in goal.

Putting them behind you is often the hardest part. At all levels, when a goalkeeper makes a mistake, it can lead to two or three. Wahlstedt knows he should've saved Wes Harding's header but he was faultless for the remaining 90+ minutes at The Den.

"It was a tough place to go, a tough match," Wahlstedt said, reflecting on the midweek win. "Everyone said it was a tough place to go before the game.

"It's a physical team and I think we had 41 crosses against us in that game which is a lot. It wasn't that bad, I expected worse.

"Obviously, it was a mistake from me for the first goal. The most important thing is how you handle mistakes. Mistakes happen, it's a part of football.

"I think I recovered pretty well during the rest of the game. I was really happy we got the win in the end.

"It's life as a goalkeeper, you have to deal with it. The most important thing is how you react after it. I think it's a very important part, the mental part being a goalkeeper.

"I am good at handling mistakes. It's going to happen during a season so you put it to the side and keep playing as you are."

Competition in goal is a unique scenario. It's unlike any other across the football pitch. Only one person can play.

It would be quite easy for resentment to build up. 'Why am I not getting my chance', 'when will my opportunity come?'. But football has a funny way of working and sometimes the chance can fall into your lap.

For Wahlstedt, that was when Pears went down with an ankle injury against Leicester City. Four weeks on the sidelines has quickly become eight and the 24-year-old is enjoying an extended run in the team.

The competition between the pair is intense with both feeling they should be number one. But retaining the support of your peers in the 'goalkeeper union', is equally important.

"It's very special, that position," Wahlstedt explains. "When you're playing, it's important to support each other inside the 'goalkeeper union'.

"When you play, you want the other goalkeepers to support you and be positive. When you aren't playing, you have to work hard and for me, it was a bit lucky but of course sad for Aynsley.

"You have to ready and when you get your chance, you have to take it. It always helps when you're playing.

"You always want to play on a Saturday. It helps you a lot to settle. It's a really good group of lads, I have a good relationship with the other goalkeepers too.

"Outside of the pitch, we're settling well. It's not easier than I expected but as I expected."

Going back to the highs of Wahlstedt's first month as a Championship starter, his save against Cardiff was tremendous. He hadn't been overworked by the Bluebirds attack but when Ollie Tanner struck the ball, and he hit it, Wahlstedt was alert and on hand.

What followed was a big fist pump and a celebration. It's not something we see often in England but it's a great sight when that sheer joy or relief comes out, unrehearsed.

It makes perfect sense really. A goalkeeper's match-winning save is only the same as a 90th-minute winner at the other end yet it is far less common in the England game.

"It was really good. It's funny because I celebrated, it wasn't planned, it just happened," Wahlstedt says. "I have done it in the Norwegian league, I celebrated when I made saves.

"I think it's normal but Ben Benson (GK coach) told me it was very European. It's not common to celebrate as a goalkeeper in England. I think it's nice, you see with Italy when they win the World Cup they celebrate with the goalkeeper and centre-backs.

"To build that feeling you want to defend for your life. It's one of the hardest things as a goalkeeper to have nothing to do and then make a save. When you have a lot to do, it's quite different."