On-loan midfielder hopes to help Dagenham & Redbridge beat drop after watching them as a teenager
Six years ago, Oliver Muldoon was in the crowd to witness Dagenham & Redbridge exit League Two with a play-off final win over Rotherham.
Then 15, the former Sanders student was at Wembley alongside Dillon Phillips, both of whom are currently on the books at Charlton Athletic.
Flash forward to now and the on-loan midfielder is hoping to prevent Daggers from going out of the league at the other end.
The east Londoners have been embroiled in a relegation scrap for much of the season and find themselves in the bottom two with just 20 points.
Hornchurch-born Muldoon was John Still’s first signing in the bid to beat the drop, joining on loan until the end of the season from the Addicks.
The midfielder has impressed since coming into the Daggers team alongside their more experienced pairing of Andre Boucaud and Joss Labadie.
And he says being a local lad, having watched Daggers from the terraces, is driving him on to keep the club up.
“I’ve been at Charlton since I was seven, it means everything to me playing for them, but it’s always nice to come back and play for a team that’s around the corner,” he said.
“It’s nice only 15 minutes away from home, especially in the mornings when you get a little longer in bed! It’s good, I’m staying at home still with my mum and dad.
“I remember a few names from watching them, like Danny Green, who was at Charlton when I was there. I remember him and Sam Saunders too.”
Since joining on loan last month, Muldoon has played every minute of every game and even grabbed an assist against Newport.
But his defensive play has been equally as impressive, sweeping up well as a holding midfielder against Everton in the FA Cup and Northampton.
And Muldoon hopes to keep turning in performances of the highest quality during the rest of the season, knowing it will boost both him and Daggers in the long term.
“A loan is to help the club where I’m at, but it’s also to help myself develop and turn myself into a better player,” he added.
“Once I go back to Charlton, hopefully I can push for a first team place, but while I’m with Dagenham everything is focused on this challenge that we’ve got.”
It will be a tough few months ahead if Daggers are to survive, but Muldoon appears more than up to the task.
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