You won promotion with Barnet the season
before, but was this past year more memorable,
despite not going up, because of your
importance to the team?
Do the journeys of the likes of Jamie Vardy
and Charlie Austin serve as inspiration when
it comes to reaching the very top from nonleague football?
Winning last year with Barnet was different
because they held my career back from moving
on to bigger clubs. They blocked moves, stopped
me from being around the team and made me
train by myself. The then-Barnet chairman
and staff killed my career, but this season Ady
Pennock, Jamie Day and Neil and Dale Vince
gave me a chance to showcase [my talent]. I
proved how I can be a vital part of a team by
getting Forest Green to the final and nearly
getting over the finish line.
I want to get to the top and be playing as high
as possible. My friend Andre Gray proves that
anything is possible with hard work if you're
given that chance.
There have been plenty of pacey and skillful
forwards since the 1990's, but who did you look
up to as a promising youth player?
I've always loved Robinho, I think he's my
favourite player in my position. That's the guy for
me.
Has there been any early interest from other
clubs? If so, would you consider a move
elsewhere or are you fully focused on next
season with Rovers?
Right now I just want to stay fit and healthy, God
has a plan for me and hopefully I can get to the
top.
You've faced some tough challenges in your
short career so far...
It was hard for me at the time. It put a stop to
everything in my career, before I did not play for
a whole season I played three games and scored.
To then be dropped for a season was the worst
thing. Before, clubs and people were accusing me
of certain things, I've had to get stuff from the
internet and sue certain people.
The club parted company with Ady Pennock
just a week before the play-offs, what impact
did it have on the players?
Of course it affected us as players, but we still
had a job to get done. We saw the staff, said
our goodbyes, then got back to work, but we
all thank of them for what they did for us and I
thank him for bringing me [to Forest Green] and
believing in me.
26
If a move were to be on the cards, would you
push harder for it than before in your time
at Barnet when Blackpool and Luton came
calling?
If a move to play higher is on the table of course
I'm going to want to play there, that's normal for
any player.