Grecians player-coach speaks ahead of Luton trip
EXETER CITY player-coach Danny Butterfield predicted that a number of City youngsters would make the transition into the first-team next season ahead of the 2015/16 finale at Luton Town.The Grecians' number two has taken on an increased coaching role in recent months, and started by giving some insight as to his playing status.
"I'm completely thankful to Tis for giving me the opportunity to transition into the coaching," Danny said. "It's a win-win for both of us; Tis uses me if and when, and I'm alongside him every day, trying to get the best out of the boys. I think that this transition will slowly develop into just this coaching role. Regarding playing, I know in my head that things are slowly coming to an end - I'm not knocking on Tis's door asking why I'm not playing, that's for sure.
"As far as the season has gone on the pitch - of course, we're disappointed that we've fallen just short of the play-offs. We've discovered a new young talent in Ollie Watkins, and we've embedded some new signings into the first-team in the forms of Jayden Stockley and Jake Taylor. I think that there's still a conveyor belt of young talent here - we've still got Connor Riley-Lowe and Matt Jay waiting, some youngsters who have recently signed pro contracts, and with those along with the improvement of the facilities here at the training ground, the future is bright for us. For the older youngsters - Matt and Connor - they are now approaching a position where they are first-team contenders, as opposed to youngsters waiting in the wings."
City look to end the season on a high at Kenilworth Road tomorrow, and Danny revealed that manager Paul Tisdale would have plenty of options to select from as the Grecians go in search of one final win.
"We've got a ninety-five per cent fit squad, so we've certainly got options open," he said. "The players' futures are definitely there to play for; we're not going to Luton on an end-of-season jolly-up, we definitely feel strongly that we need to win the final game of the season to take the momentum into next season. It's only right that the fans get to see a performance where the players are playing whole-heartedly for the club."
Listen to the full audio of Danny's interview here.