Jamacian international reveals he has been taking some stick for winner against Chile
Joel Grant has promised more goals with his head this season after taking some stick from the coaching staff and players at Exeter City for nodding home a winner for Jamaica against Chile in the summer.Grant, who has returned from a month off with a calf injury, says he is looking forward to City’s game against Portsmouth on Saturday, but added that he is under a little bit of pressure to score with his head following is exploits in the Copa America warm-up game against the current champions.
“It is very rare that I score with my head so I’ve been getting a bit of stick from the coaching staff and the players here (at Exeter City,” said Grant. “But it is something I’ve been working on and something I’m looking to improve and hopefully you’ll see a bit more of that this season. “You can always improve and that is definitely one of my weak points.”
Grant admits the Copa America experience was great. It is the second time the 28-year-old has been to the competition with Jamaica and he was hoping to reap the benefits of that at the start of the season until a calf injury curtailed his progress.
“I had a great summer and that was one of the things I was hoping to do – come back super fit which I was,” said Joel. “I felt really good and then I had a calf problem, which I suffered in the game against Bristol Rovers.
“I felt really good and it was a little bit of a strange one, because I no pre-warning signs. Perhaps I could have overdone things in terms of my training, but it is nice to be back now and fingers crossed I can stay fit now for as long as possible."
So, from Chile to Portsmouth, what is Grant is expecting from Saturday’s match at St James Park?
“It is always the same, every game is difficult,” he said. “It is my job is to try and make it easy. Portsmouth, I’m not too sure how they have got on in their games as I have been more concentrated on myself and getting back and our team, but it should be a good game. They are always good team and I’m looking forward to it.”
Grant has also had a change of position in pre-season, playing more as a striker. However, against Hull City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, he was back on the left wing. So, it is a case of him trying to fill in as many positions as he can this season?
“I think you’ll have to ask the manager that really, but for me I just want to play,” he said. “I’m happy to play wherever the manager puts me. I know we have been working on few things between myself and the manager, particularly in the forward role.
“On Tuesday I played on the wing, which is somewhere I have played most of my career – so it is not like learning a new position – but I just want to play. So if I can get in any position, I’m happy.”