Front-man working hard...
SADDLERS’ striker, George Bowerman, has put his fellow strike partners on high alert by declaring he is hungrier than ever to regain his place in the starting line-up.
The 21-year old has had to contend with a place on the bench in recent weeks, with manager Dean Smith opting for Will Grigg or fit-again Febian Brandy up front and despite being eager to play, the modest Bowerman insists he is happy to sit on the sidelines if it means the club are picking up results.
“It is disappointing to be out," he admitted. "I want to be starting every game but my performances haven’t been to the level they were at the start of the season, so I understand why the gaffer has left me out.
“I'm determined to show him I'm good enough to get back in the side and score goals again.
“It’s going to be difficult, Will [Grigg] is an International player and Feb [Brandy] is a former Manchester United player with a great pedigree.
“The pair are doing well together, it’s a team game and if everyone out there is getting results then I’ll be happy to make an impact from the bench.
“They both know I will be breathing down their necks and I’ll work hard to take my chance and show everyone what I do best, which is scoring goals at this level.”
The Saddlers’ top goalscorer has had a mixed time of it recently, which saw him pick up a niggling ankle injury against Leyton Orient in early October after winning the Young Player of the Month Award for his impressive displays in September.
Bowerman earned the award after scoring five goals in six games, which included a last-minute winner away at Bournemouth, and the likeable striker is raring to re-find the excellent form which saw him gain plenty of admirers.
"Winning the award gave me plenty of confidence and proved I was doing things right, but people were also giving the team the recognition we deserved," he added. “I picked up a slight knock that curtailed my season and it was on the back of my mind, whilst playing, that I could do more damage so I never got playing to the best of my ability.
“I'm fit and ready for action again now, so my aim is to push on and get back to the level I was at in September."
The Saddlers return to the Banks’s Stadium this weekend against bottom-of-the-table Hartlepool United, who have recently appointed John Hughes as boss and the Sedgley-born Bowerman knows that they will be looking to impress their new first-team coach.
“The pressure will be back on us against Hartlepool," he went on. "It’s a massive game for both teams and they have a new manager, which means results and performances usually pick up.
"We were underdogs in the games against Crawley and Tranmere, but we proved we can get something from the best teams.
“Saturday is a chance to continue our performances, re-gather our form and get an important win to get our season back on track."
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