PNE man opens up on tough period after signing new contract
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00:00I think Andy mentioned it, but three years is just security and clarity for you, isn't it?
00:04Tunnel vision on your footing?
00:06Yes, obviously it's nice to know I'm here for three years, but again, you want to do
00:12something with them three years and not make it a total waste of time.
00:15As nice as it has been being here for seven years, you still want to look back and realise
00:20that you've achieved something at the club rather than just being here for a certain
00:24amount of time and not actually doing anything.
00:25So, that's certainly on my mind that I do want to achieve something here.
00:30Is that belief there a bit more than it's been, or as much as it ever has been?
00:34I know Alex Nealy had a great time, didn't you?
00:36Yes, I think maybe the team, like Preston General, have been guilty of just being a
00:42mid-table team, but I think the whole stance on that is changing.
00:47I think there is a lot more of a belief here.
00:50Even if you look back at the past couple of seasons, we've been really pushing for it
00:57and then obviously the final five games have let us down.
00:59But, yes, I feel like there's a lot more belief in the team this year and we've just got too
01:07much quality here to be sitting mid-table.
01:09So, yes, I'm hoping that time will finally come.
01:13You must be settled in the area.
01:14It's a long way away from home for you, but clearly you've found a home here.
01:19Yes, I mean, it was tough when I first moved up here.
01:24It's a big old trip, to be fair, four hours away from home.
01:28So, I did really struggle a bit and I didn't really imagine myself being here for that
01:33long, to be honest with you.
01:34I thought I'd eventually just end up moving closer down south, gradually.
01:40But, yes, I've really enjoyed it here.
01:41I've met some fantastic people and some of my closest mates up here.
01:45So, yes, like I said, I've loved every minute of it and I wouldn't have signed if I wasn't
01:50as happy off the pitch as I am on it.
01:52So, that's been a key factor as well.
01:55Northern people are pretty friendly, aren't they?
01:57They are, to be fair, yes.
01:58I mean, Southerners do get a lot of stick for being a bit rude and grumpy.
02:02But, yes, I must say the vast majority of people I've encountered up here have been really nice.
02:07When you went to Wednesday, did you think it might be me done at Preston?
02:11Or were you always quite confident to come back and get yourself back in?
02:14Yes, I mean, to be fair, when I went there, it was a real awakening call, to be fair.
02:22And, you know, fair play to Loie.
02:25He sort of made me realise what I actually need to do to sort of get my career back on track.
02:35And, you know, once I had a good spell there, as good as it was there, I always wanted to come back here
02:43and sort of prove myself again.
02:46And I feel like I did do that.
02:49So, it was nice to sort of, for me to get my career back on track here,
02:54because there was times where I thought I've blown it now and it probably won't work out.
03:01But, yes, thankfully I knuckled down and managed to get it back on track.
03:04You mentioned not enjoying certain times.
03:06Were they the ones where you were thinking, I'm not really going to make it?
03:10Yes, lots of things were happening.
03:15There was a lot of stuff off the pitch where I just sort of weren't enjoying football as much.
03:21I probably just didn't really know where I was going with my life in general, to be honest with you.
03:25It was just a bit all over the place.
03:28Like I said, he sort of, as frustrating as it was going out on loan,
03:32because every player thinks they should be playing at the club, you know, it was the best thing for me.
03:36So, credit to him for doing that, because like I said, he really got that desire back into me to go prove him wrong
03:44and to come back into the team.
03:45And like I said, I feel like I've done that.
03:47Is Lewis Gibson someone you know already?
03:49Yes, we briefly played at Wednesday for a bit.
03:53So, yes, I know him a little bit and he's a good lad, to be fair.
03:57He's a nice, friendly lad and obviously he's got a lot of quality.
04:01And I feel like he'll bring a lot of his qualities to the team.
04:03So, yes, I'm sure we'll be really good at it.
04:05He's added competition quite nice.
04:07I know you three have been pretty regular back there.
04:09Jack came in last summer, but someone pushing you?
04:12Yes, everyone needs competition.
04:16You know, I feel like it brings the best out of everyone.
04:19It's only going to benefit the team at the end of the day.
04:23Because sometimes when you don't have enough competition there, you know you're going to play week in, week out, regardless of how bad you play.
04:28So, again, it's really good that someone like him can come in and help push the defence even more.
04:34How have you found this right-back role you're doing in games?
04:36Is it something a little bit different?
04:38Yes, I mean, I don't mind it, to be fair.
04:43It can be difficult sometimes, but I feel like I've adapted to it pretty well.
04:51So, yes, I wouldn't say it's miles different from being a right-centre half of a three.
04:57And, you know, I have got forward a couple of times, but yes, it's something that I'll still keep working on.
05:01And, you know, if the manager wants me to continue playing, then I'm happy to do so.
05:05You had a pile-drive against Oxford, didn't you?
05:07I know, yes, I got a bit too giddy with that one and just seen the goal open up.
05:11So, I needed to get over it next time, so it wasn't miles over.
05:14Have you shaken illness off?
05:17Yes, finally, I just couldn't get rid of it.
05:19There was a good week to 10 days where I was just feeling horrendous.
05:25You know, the West Brom game was not very well at all.
05:30And it started to gradually go away on the Oxford game.
05:33Thankfully, I feel all right now.
05:35But, yes, it was just everyone had it, my family had it and a few of the boys got it as well.
05:39So, it was doing the rounds.
05:42Yes, thankfully, that's gone now.