Young pro delighted with fledgling career
With the exodus of some senior pros during the summer break, Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale asserted that that would mean a few extra chances for some of the younger players in his side.
It has transpired, however, that the youngest player to be given a squad number – Matt Grimes – has been one of the players to grab the nettle and stake his claim for a first-team place. He was, technically-speaking, a new arrival for Paul Tisdale – last season he was playing his Saturday football in front of a few dozen people for Exeter City’s under-18 side.
But if he features against Southend on Saturday, it will already be his tenth appearance for the first-team in his maiden season – and he revealed that the opportunities he has been given this year have already blown his expectations out the water.
“At the start of the season, I really didn’t expect to be doing as well as I am now and I didn’t expect to have played anywhere near as many games as I have so far,” says Grimes. “At the start of the year, I was targeting making five appearances this season to bring myself into it and get a feel for League 2 football. But with the way it has gone, I really couldn’t be happier with everything that has happened.
“You can work your socks off in training and play really well, but that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily get on the bench or travel to away games. But you’ve got to keep going – all the lads have just got to keep working hard and fighting for a place and if an injury comes, they’ll be really to make the step up and play.”
The full interview with City teenager Matt Grimes is in this weekend’s issue of our matchday programme The Grecian, which will be on sale around St James Park before and during our meeting with Southend United on Saturday.