Grant Ward says the chance to learn from the likes of Joey Barton and Glenn Whelan was a big factor in his decision to sign for Bristol Rovers last month.
The former Blackpool and Ipswich Town midfielder joined as a free agent and he brings plenty of experience from stints in the Championship, League One and Major League Soccer with almost 250 senior appearances to his name.
Aged 28, the Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate is one of the more senior players in Barton's squad, but he wants to keep learning his craft and he is relishing the chance to work under the tutelage of Barton and first-team coach Whelan, both Premier League regulars and internationals in Ward's position.
"I have watched a few of the games and seen the type of football we’re playing," Ward said. "The manager has got experience and Whelo as well.
"I wanted to come here and learn from them, really. They are midfield players as well. I also know (first-team coach) Danny (Ventre) from Blackpool as well. I had a chat with him and he said good things about the club.
"It’s been good working with the manager so far. It is good to see the different ideas. Different managers play in different ways, but he has got good experience in the game so it will be good to learn from him and Whelo as well."
Prior to joining the Gas, Ward had made just seven senior appearances in the previous 18 months due to a ruptured Achilles in August 2021, surely one of the worst injuries for any sportsman, let alone a box-to-box midfielder.
This season, though, he has been fit, which has brought a new frustration. He rejoined Blackpool on a short-term deal but played just twice before it expired in January, and with his injury woes behind him, Ward is desperate to play as much as possible.
He made his debut for the Gas as a substitute in the 5-1 defeat at Morecambe before starting in Saturday's 2-0 loss to MK Dons and playing 86 minutes, in which he was among Rovers' most effective players on a frustrating afternoon at the Mem.
After such a challenging period, Ward hopes to get back in the groove and rack up as many appearances as he can.
"I was out last year with the injury; this year I have been fit and training and playing reserve games," he added. "I haven’t played as much as I like to, but I’m raring to go now.
"It’s tough being injured, but it’s mentally tough being fit and not involved, like you’re not wanted. For me, it was a good time to get out and hopefully I can play and enjoy my football again.
"From what we’ve done so far, I’ve felt alright, so hopefully I don’t need too long to adjust.
"It was a tough period. You start off in a cast and you’re on crutches for six weeks. Then you go into a boot and you’re in that for another four or five weeks and then you get your shoes out.
"But you can’t even bend your foot to be able to walk to start with. It was a tough period but mentally it has made me stronger and I feel good. When I’ve not been injured, I’ve played most games wherever I’ve been, so it would be nice to get back to that."
The time spent on the sidelines was not wasted, though, with Ward taking up the chance to start his coaching badges and he worked in the youth setup at Bloomfield Road for a while.
"At the start of it (the injury), I was watching everything," he said. "Every Prem game, Champ, one after the other. I got to a point where I came away from it or a month and got my head right, spent time with my family and went away. I came back and started the rehab.
"I started coaching as well and that helped. You can look at the game in a different way. That was when (Neil) Critchley was still there and I was doing it with the academy sides. I was doing the under-14s and it was a good eye-opener for me, I enjoyed it.
"I started it as something to do when I was injured because I thought it would be good to have but I’m not sure if I want to do it fully yet. I want to get it boxed off and see where it takes me. I’ve enjoyed it, so I don’t see why not."
Back-to-back defeats to start his stint with the Gas is far from the desired outcome. Nonetheless, Ward's first impressions of the club have been good compared to what he has experienced elsewhere.
"The facilities here are very good," he added. "I was very surprised actually because I was at Blackpool, which is a division above, and it is nothing like this. It’s chalk and cheese really and it’s nice to have a nice facility to work in with a gym and all that stuff."
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