Midfielder gives reflection after win at Weston
Following a 2-1 victory against Weston-super-Mare, midfielder David Noble admitted that he had a sense of anticipation for the forthcoming season which he hasn’t had for a number of years.The midfielder rejoined the Grecians on loan last year, but had to miss the Christmas schedule due to the red tape which prevented him making a permanent move from Oldham until the new year. And then, in mid-February, injured curtailed his season completely.
Having featured late on from the bench against Arbroath, Noble completed his first 45 minutes in a City shirt in almost six months and was instrumental in much of the Grecians’ dominant midfield display at Woodspring Stadium.
And he admitted that it was a mixture of relief and pleasure after a frustrating few months watching on.
“It was good to get a run out,” Noble said. “Other than the 15 minutes against Arbroath, those were my first meaningful minutes.
“I’m a little bit tired now! But I enjoyed it.
“The end of last season was one of the most frustrating times of my career. I have been out for three or four months, so I’m still looking to gain some fitness.
“But the injury feels really good though, which is the main thing, so now it’s just about getting the minutes and getting fitness.
“There’s no looking back now – just forward, and I’m really looking forward to this season. I haven’t looked forward to one so much in a long time. It’s exciting times ahead.
“I’m getting fitter every day with the more I do. I’m feeling a bit stiff after games, but that’s just blowing the cobwebs away. The more minutes I play and train, I’ll be getting fitter all the time.”
In addition, Noble wore the captain’s armband for the Grecians during the first period – Matt Oakley, Danny Butterfield and Jamie McAllister have all had captain’s duties at points in pre-season so far.
David felt that the array of options to perform the task was a good reflection on a team which has plenty of leaders in the dressing room and on the field.
“It’s pre-season and there have been a few different captains,” he continued. “Tis is looking at a few things – not only with the captain, but the team and the formations.
“Pre-season is about that – it’s about preparing for that first game of the season, and that’s what happening.
“We’ve got a lot of players that are candidates for captaincy, and that can only be a good thing. It’s a cliché, but there should be 11 captains out there – it’s not just the man wearing the armband.
“But we have got a lot of experienced players that have played a lot of games, and that’s a positive.”
You can watch a full post-match interview with Grecians midfielder David Noble below on Grecian PlayerHD.