Boro ‘keeper pleased with new signings

BORO goalkeeper Chris Day believes the club has more than 20 hungry players competing for a starting line-up when his side begins its first season in the Football League in August.

The 34-year-old stopper, who is about to start his third season with the club, has been in pre-season training for the past 10 days with his teammates and believes the club’s new signings all have an appetite for a starting place when Boro host Macclesfield Town on August 7.

“It’s been hard work, pre-season training, and we’ve obviously just got back from being away but it’s rewarding, we’re in good shape and there have been no injuries.

“As you get older there are obviously different demands on the body but as you get older you also get wiser and experience comes into pre-season training as well as playing games, although it does seem to come earlier each year!

“Basically pre-season training is the same as last year; nothing was broke last season so there is no reason to fix it.

“Games don’t start in the league for a little while yet but when the pre-season matches start next week we’ll have had two-and-a-half weeks under our belt and we’ve got 23 or 24 really hungry players up for just 11 places.”

Boro have lost Mitchell Cole (to Oxford United), Andy Drury (Luton Town) and Mark Albrighton (Kidderminster Harriers) during the close season but have brought in Peter Winn, Robbie Sinclair, Luke Foster, Darius Charles and John Moushino, who was signed just last week.

“They’ve all done well,” Day said of the new players. “They’ve been bright, they’ve joined in and they’re all polite and have contributed on and off the park.

“We’ve got a fair old squad and have a minimum of two for every position; it’s a World Cup type of squad. All the players are hungry for success.

“People may have been surprised that we haven’t dipped into the league but we’ve got players in with points to prove.”

As part of their introduction into the squad, each player is asked to perform a song in front of the players and two new signings in particular have impressed Day.

“Darius Charles sang an Usher song, very surprising. He’s got a very delicate voice for such a big fella. Robbie Sinclair did a bit of human beat boxing. He’s a young lad and quite quiet but that surprised a few.

“The main thing with the new players is to make them feel welcome locally and the sooner they settle in and settle down the more comfortable they can be.”