Chris Day has spoken with excitement about agreeing a deal with the club to continue as a player/coach next season.
Having got a taste for coaching late last season, long serving keeper Day says he can’t wait to get going again.
“It is a different challenge but one we started towards the end of last year and it is certainly one I am looking forward to. Playing is still important obviously and the coaching/mentoring side is something that will be new to me but I love my football and more specifically, the role of the goalkeeper.
“It means a lot more now it is official. Before you are ticking all the boxes, doing the job but ultimately we were working towards survival really and turning around our form. Now that there is an officialness to it there is lots of things I can put my mind to now.”
Still going strong at 40, there are no plans to hang up the gloves yet.
“No, not at all. From that point of view I still feel as fit as I did when I joined the club so as far as I am concerned age is nothing but a number. I have got good experience, not just as a goalkeeper but of the football club so I am still very much a player too. I have learnt off a lot of good people over the years and this year it is about putting all that together.
“I have always been available for advice if anyone at the club needed help. Goalkeeper, right back, centre forward – anybody so it is always something I have thrown myself into.”
Day’s passion for goalkeeping and teaching comes across strongly when speaking to him and he says that a coaching role is something he has had his eye on for a while.
“I am very studious on the art of goalkeeping and all the trials and tribulations that go with it so it is always something I wanted to get involved in. I have always studied the game to be honest ever since I was a young boy so I can’t wait. I have always been very strong on it.
“I know a lot of good people in the goalkeeping world who have made the step so I will be seeking their advice in due course certainly.”
Now with his future sorted, Day is optimistic about the coming season and the challenges that lie ahead.
“I think there is a lot to look forward to even at this very early stage. We are moving to get things organised, we are thinking about what is going on and hopefully we can build on the strength that we seemed to build in the squad at the end of last season.
“We turned around our defensive form such as going from conceding probably 2 goals a game to 1 goal a game and you constantly strive to better things like that so it is important we carry that on and keep looking onwards and upwards.”