Gav, to start I’d like to go back to the beginning of the season and your decision to come back to the club after a year away. Was that an easy choice? I imagine you had plenty of offers.

Erm, I wouldn’t say easy. In my head I wanted to have a good crack at that standard as I never felt I had any real momentum with the teams I played in. But at the same time, when Lockdown came around, it just made me want to play football, especially with the lads I know well and at a place I’m comfortable at. Was also a massive boost when the club moved leagues too.

And looking back now, how do you reflect on that season away playing at a higher level? Are you glad you did it?

100% with no regrets. I met some really good lads and it helped me scout players for Ollerton now like James Matthews.

I learned a lot and I’d like to think my all round game has developed. Maltby started off really well but ended up drifting out wide which didn’t really suit me and they brought in players better suited to those roles.

Then AFC Mansfield was also really enjoyable apart from not getting much of a look in as a number 9 but when Ross Duggan is scoring every game, I couldn’t moan there. One thing I enjoyed was the coaching and how on it everyone was in every training session which we can hopefully implement here at Ollerton.

Given the success you had during your previous spell here, scoring over 60 goals in two seasons, were you worried about meeting those expectations again? Did scoring 5 on the opening help settle things down?

Ha, any striker will take scoring a few on the first game of the season to take the pressure off. Expectations don’t really bother me too much, it’s cliché but I’m my own toughest critic a lot of the time. Apart from Needham anyway!

You obviously carried that form on and manage to reach double figures pretty quickly. Did you have a target before the season started and have you altered that because of the good start?

No, I’ve not thought about the end total at all. I got too caught up with that a few years ago and it means nothing really. And with all this lockdown stuff happening, we can’t guarantee we will get a full season anyway.

Obviously your goals always take the headlines but your commitment is also exemplary and you hardly ever miss a game so you must’ve been frustrated to miss the last three games before lockdown? Especially for something which was purely accidental.

To me, that should be the norm, lads playing 99% of the season. Going back to last year, you’d hardly see any lads not turn up to training or a match. Even back in my Thoresby days, lads would turn up every game and not get paid a penny. Just the way it should be in my opinion.

But yeah, it was very annoying to get sent off. Not just for the three games I missed but also the second half of the game I was sent off in, it felt like that was a missed three points there.

Has missing those three games made this break even harder? You must be itching to get back out there playing.

Yeah definitely. I was really looking forward to the local derbies we had in November as well.

How do you rate our start to the season? You must be pretty pleased like the rest of us.

Really good. I think the lads have worked hard and the squad is looking strong at the minute. I wouldn’t really say there’s any need for us to fear anyone in the league. We’ve just got to be consistent with work rate and we will do okay.

When you played for us before, we struggled to get a settled goalkeeper and it plagued us at times. How nice is it to know that we’ve got Levi Owen back there now as well as some of the other new lads like Lewis Murr, Slacky and Josh Madin?

I love the commitment of Levi and the other Yorkshire lads. I can remember turning up wondering whether we’ve got a keeper which was never nice! Mads has been quality and obviously Ben has been a constant threat on the right for us.

You mentioned Ben there. He’s another lad you haven’t played with before. Is it nice to have someone else up there scoring on a regular basis and I imagine the chances he creates is great for a centre forward like yourself?

Of course, he’s been class so far. I know when he’s got the ball I’m in the game. Same when I’ve got it too. I know I can just kick it long and hope he gets onto the end of it which is a real outlet for us.

So looking forward now, what are your hopes and aims for the rest of the season? On a personal level but also in terms of the team as a whole. What do you think we should be aiming for?

I’m hoping for a full season for a start! I think we should be looking to be in the top four, I don’t think that’s unrealistic. On a personal level, I’m just hoping for no more red cards!