Swindon Town captain Angus MacDonald says putting into practice what the team has learnt during pre-season will play a pivotal role in them claiming an opening day victory at Harrogate Town tomorrow.
The new 2022/23 EFL Sky Bet League Two season officially gets underway this weekend with Scott Lindsey’s side heading to the EnviroVent Stadium in a 3pm kick off.
Speaking to the press ahead of tomorrow’s curtain-raiser, the 29-year-old former Rotherham United and Hull City defender says he’s also looking to lead by example having been handed the captains armband.
Angus on Harrogate…
“I don’t tend to look into the opposition too much too early on, but we’ll obviously assess their threats nearer the time. We know they have good players going forward so we need to be aware of that, but if we stick to our game plan we won’t have an issues.
“We have a lot of quality in this team and the lads have been showing this all pre-season, and having only worked with them a handful of times since joining, they look sharp and everyone knows their role.
“We know how we want to play and understand what we need to do to ensure it’s effective, so if we execute it well, we’ll give ourselves every chance of winning.”
On leading the side out on Saturday…
“Captaining this side is a huge honour for myself and my family. It’s something I’ve not always worked towards, but I’ve always tried to show leadership qualities.
“Every captain I’ve played alongside or worked under has lead by example, and I want to do the same here. We have a lot of young lads in the squad so I want to show professionalism and guide them.
“I also want to inspire them which can help raise their game by that extra two or three per cent. A lot of the players we have here don’t realise how good they are, so if I can lift them when it matters I know I’ve done my job.”
The mood in the camp ahead of Harrogate…
“Everyone is buzzing at the moment and the squad has bonded really well.
“From what I’ve seen so far, we’re a fantastic unit and a strong group, so it’s been really straight forward for me to come in and take the captains role, and having such good personalities and players that want to work hard for each other makes it a lot easier to lead them.”
On his own fitness…
“Of course I spent a while out between clubs but was focused on training hard and preparing myself for the season, even before I’d signed a contract.
“When you are training on your own it’s hard. When you’re in a group it helps because you can pull each other through when you’re tired, but on your own it all comes down to mental strength.
“However, I’ve worked hard and I feel good. I’ve pushed through all the barriers and worked as hard as I can. I feel fit and ready for the season and my ultimate goal will be to play as many games for this club as I can and perform highly every time.”
