Dean Parrett speaks ahead of our home clash with Southend on Saturday...
Dean Parrett returned from injury against Hartlepool last weekend and helped drive the team onto three points as he slotted back into the centre of midfield.
Despite Hartlepool being bottom of the table, Parrett says it was still a tough victory.
“They are fighting for their lives to stay in the league so they were going to do everything they could. The first 15, 20 minutes were tough but once we got into the game and got the goal it was a little bit easier. They came out of the second half fighting, got the early goal and we reacted well to it.”
Since joining the club Parrett has had plenty of injury problems. Tearing his ACL last season kept him out for 6 months but he feels as though the setbacks have helped him mature physically and mentally.
“It is a tough thing to happen to a player. You obviously have to show your character and your strength to get back from it and when I first came back I am not sure I was ready.
“I have worked hard to get my fitness up and all the coaches and fitness coaches have helped me along the way and I think it is starting to show now.
“It makes you mentally stronger. I think now I have developed into a man whereas back then I was a boy trying to develop.”
High-flying Southend are our visitors on Saturday and despite being at the opposite end to the table as last weekend’s opponents, Parrett says the team’s preparation will be just the same.
“At the end of the day every game is tough in this league. Everyone can beat everyone as we have seen this season. You have to just go into every game knowing it is a tough game. Yeah, they are above us, they might have some better players than (we faced) last weekend so we will have to look into that but you still prepare the same. If we do our job we should get a result.”
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