'We're on the Ball' (From This Is Swindon Town FC)

'We're on the Ball'

7:10am Thursday 29th July 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(6)

DAVID Ball may have been a Town player for less than a month, but the loanee claims he has already seen enough to know his new employers can be challenging for League One promotion.

The 20-year-old striker arrived earlier in July on an initial six-month loan from Manchester City, and has caught the eye already with three goals in Swindon’s pre-season friendly campaign.

Ball is looking forward to getting stuck in to competitive action in the third tier, and believes the quality he has witnessed on the training ground leaves him in no doubt that Town can better last season’s achievements.

“Knowing that I was going to come on loan I watched the TV shows and watched every game I could,” said the highly-rated forward. “It looks a bit more physical to what I’m used to, and maybe some team aren’t going to play football and will look to the long ball instead.

“But I came to Swindon because they play football.

“That’s what I am - a footballer, and I want to play football.

“You’re playing for points here and that’s also why I came here, because I want to play for something.

“In the reserves (at Manchester City) it’s tough because it can be not that competitive, but to come and play first team football at three o’clock on a Saturday really means something.

“Hopefully Man City let me stay on until the end of the season and I can help the team go one step further and win promotion.

“The team is good enough to do that - I’ve seen it already. The lads are brilliant.

“There’s some really good technical players in there who can mix it as well.

“They’re not just technical - they can be physical as well.

“And I believe they’ve got what it takes this season.”

As well as using Ball in his favoured striking role, Town boss Danny Wilson has also experimented with the youngster on the wing as he looks to repeat the success of Bolton’s Danny Ward last season. But the City man doesn’t care where he lines up as long as he is getting that much-craved first team experience.

Ball said: “I’m not too sure about what’s going to happen over the course of the season, but I guess I’ll be used a bit up front and a bit on the wings.

“I don’t really mind to be honest, as long as I get into the team and help them.

“I came here for first-team football, and if the manager thinks I’m more useful out on the wing, then I’m happy to do that.”

• TOWN’S youngsters cruised into the semi-finals of the Youth Cup in Northern Ireland yesterday. Jeremy Newton’s side beat Hapoel Beer Sheba 5-0 to book a place in today’s semis.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(6)