We just about took up all of Paul Huntington’s lunchtime on Monday, between sessions, but it was well worth it as we covered a range of subjects as most of the other players made their way around the rest of the local press pack.
The challenge of stepping up to League One, with some big clubs to face, was where we started the second part of our interview.
“There were some big clubs in League Two, look at Bradford as an example, but there are some really good teams to come up against this season,” he agreed. “You have to embrace it.
“It’s 11 v 11, you’re not playing against a history of a club or a size of a club. Yes, they might have a lot of fans, but they aren’t the ones actually out on the pitch that can affect the game.
“They’ll cheer for their team or try and sway a referee or something, but hopefully the officials will be good this year.
“This type of thing is where the lads want to be. You can’t just be comfortable in League Two and think that you’re happy with playing the same teams all the time.
“You’ve got to have that ambition of going higher and then proving yourself at that higher level. It’s quite easy sitting here and talking about it, but we’ve got to go and do it.
“There are new grounds for a lot of the lads, and for some of the fans, and there are some really good clubs in there. I think the top 10 will be quite good, quite strong, but it’s a bit like last year, you’re kind of just learning on the job.
“There were a lot of players last year who I had to ask some of the other lads about, because I hadn’t played against them before.
“In the past I knew most of the players I’d be up against, so it’ll be the same this time. It’s about doing your job, whoever you’re up against, and if we all do that, we’ll be fine.
“It’s a long time since I’ve played in League One but as I’ll keep repeating, I think this is at the very least where this club should be. Now we’re back in it, it’s about taking each game as it comes.
“There’ll probably be more teams that have set ways of playing and our game plan will be about how we’re going to combat that. It’ll be how we set up to disrupt them.
“I quite liked it last year because it wasn’t a load of information. Much of what we did was making sure we were right, and if we’re right we tend to give teams issues.”
And it’s also about handling those big occasions.
“The lads showed in the first Bradford game that they can do that,” he reminded us. “Maybe the first part of that away game we were possibly on the back foot a little bit.
“We started slowly and I was thinking that we were lacking that belief, but then it came back in spades. If anything we probably should have ended up winning that game.
“We showed in the second leg that when it mattered, and it was the same in the final, that we’ve got real belief within this group. That’s great, and that’s why the lads who have come back will help us. They know all about us, we know all about them, and they have that belief, they’ve already achieved with us.
“I think we can use that momentum going into a new season, especially at the start. We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, we’ve got hard yards to do before we get to the first game, but we’re looking forward to it.
“I think we know the belief is there, and I think if you’ve got that belief, togetherness and willingness to really leave it all out on the pitch for each other, then I think it can take you a long way. I think that’s the minimum you expect as a fan.
“If you watch a player who maybe isn’t the best technically, or can’t use both feet, or whatever it is, but they come off the pitch shattered because they’ve given it everything, then that’s all you want.
“You still won’t be happy going home if you lose a game, but that’s all you want to see. Since I’ve been here with the manager I think the fans will know that they’re going to get that from all of us.”
The influence of the manager is something just about everybody talks about in their interviews.
“The manager is definitely a calming influence,” he said. “There are times when he has to be more stern, but we all know he’s been there and done it as a player and a manager.
“This club fits well for him and he’s had success each time he’s been here. We were a young group last year and I think the manager’s calmness helps that.
“I know he’s looking for a few older heads this season, with a bit more experience to try and help guide the younger lads, which will only help us all going into this new challenge.”
Having taken over the skipper’s role last season, we wondered if it was something he’s thought about again.
“Whether I’m captain or not, it doesn’t bother me,” he told us. “I said before Wembley that if Morgan was fit it would have been a positive for the group.
“It doesn’t change how I play, I spout rubbish for 96 minutes either way! I’m sure most of the lads will confirm that, but I don’t think you need an armband to talk people through a game.
“You can lead in different ways, and I’ve had managers in the past say I lead more by example than vocally, but I don’t shut up on the pitch. I think communication is a big part of the game, 99% of the rest of the lads can run, so if I order them about it means I have to do less running!
“It’s a step up so we’re going to have to be better than we were last year, but everyone is ok with that. The club is in a really good place on and off the pitch. I know they’re now in talks about the debt that’s over the club, so I think everything is positive and we need to carry that on.”
Talking about a club that fits the manager, it had to be said that it appears to be the same for him with him having returned to his roots last year.
“I really enjoyed my first year, it’s a brilliant place to be,” he said. “A few people have said that I came at the right time, it’s a club on the up. We’re not setting targets but with the group that we’ve got and the additions we’ll get I think we’ll be ok.
“At the time I came here I wasn’t really looking at playing in League Two, but the longer the summer went on and the more time I got to spend at home with my daughter and my wife, it changed things for me.
“We’d just moved house and the plan is that it will be our forever home, so I was saying no to things down south. I was keeping myself fit and doing my own pre-season, but I started to question what I was hanging around for.
“I’d been in touch with the manager and Gav so I knew they were keen right from the end of the season before. I’d always played League One and above, so it was good for us all to get promoted last season.
“Not just us as players, but the whole club, the fans and the staff. You can’t do it without each other. League One is a new challenge but it’s where we all want to be. We’ll be testing ourselves against better clubs and better players which will be tough at times, but it was tough last season.
“We enjoyed this summer, there are players who have moved on and players will come in, that’s football. I know whoever comes in will easily fit into the changing room with the group we’ve got, it’s probably one of the best I’ve been involved with in terms of making you feel welcome.
“We’re all just normal lads, there’s no big egos or attitudes, it's just a real willingness to work hard. That’s the minimum we require at this club.”
And, as the week goes on, the focus will switch to that first outing at Annan.
“The first few friendlies are about blowing the cobwebs off,” he reiterated. “We haven’t had long off so I think we’ll get 45 minutes in the first couple of games.
“I think for the manager it will be more about making sure we hit our numbers and get the fitness. It’s also about getting back into the good habits and the timings of things.
“It’s little things like when a goalkeeper kicks it, getting your timing back of when to jump for the header and things like that. We’ll build that fitness up as we go through pre-season and I’ve enjoyed being back so far. We want to build on what we did last year and look forward now.”
