Home
JACK Hobbs doesn’t want to be known as a player haunted by injuries.
Though he arrived at Wanderers this summer with a CV reading just 15 games played in two seasons, the centre-back is eager to rid himself of the stigma gained by sitting on the side-lines.
It was that attitude to start afresh which saw him train through the whole summer with Phil Parkinson’s squad without the security of a contract and, hopes the 30-year-old, the one which will see him return to his very best in a Bolton shirt.
“There were periods of injury at Forest which were massively frustrating,” he told The Bolton News. “But also there were times when I was just out of the team and people just automatically assumed I was injured. I was just left out. And it’s then you end up with that tag, which is hard to get rid of.
“I want to put that behind me but obviously I have had to prove to Bolton that I can stay fit.
“I have worked hard in pre-season with the sports science staff at Bolton and they have taken a good look at what I can do. Now I want to repay the faith they have shown in me.”
Hobbs knows what it takes to get out of the Championship, earning promotion with Hull City four years ago, but knew his lack of recent football at Forest, and consequent release at the City Ground, could have left him in a precarious position this summer.
“There are a lot of free agents out there so finding a club, particularly one like Bolton, can be quite difficult,” he said. “I was very realistic about that.
“I spent five years at Forest, and that’s quite a long time in football these days. But by the end of last season I’d got my head around the fact I’d be looking for new club. That’s when the manager gave me a call and invited me to come up with the team to Scotland and start pre-season. It was perfect.
“You can only go so far when you are training on your own, so to get that opportunity to get in there, get among the lads and prove myself was brilliant.”
Hobbs is confident he will add something to the Wanderers squad heading for West Brom tomorrow and has shown already in pre-season some of the organisational and leadership qualities which convinced Parkinson to offer him a one-year deal.
“I’m not even 30 yet – but I have experienced plenty and it’s not something you can buy,” he said. “I’ve been promoted from this division before, and I feel like I’ve got plenty of advice to pass on – especially to the younger players.”
Source
Though he arrived at Wanderers this summer with a CV reading just 15 games played in two seasons, the centre-back is eager to rid himself of the stigma gained by sitting on the side-lines.
It was that attitude to start afresh which saw him train through the whole summer with Phil Parkinson’s squad without the security of a contract and, hopes the 30-year-old, the one which will see him return to his very best in a Bolton shirt.
“There were periods of injury at Forest which were massively frustrating,” he told The Bolton News. “But also there were times when I was just out of the team and people just automatically assumed I was injured. I was just left out. And it’s then you end up with that tag, which is hard to get rid of.
“I want to put that behind me but obviously I have had to prove to Bolton that I can stay fit.
“I have worked hard in pre-season with the sports science staff at Bolton and they have taken a good look at what I can do. Now I want to repay the faith they have shown in me.”
Hobbs knows what it takes to get out of the Championship, earning promotion with Hull City four years ago, but knew his lack of recent football at Forest, and consequent release at the City Ground, could have left him in a precarious position this summer.
“There are a lot of free agents out there so finding a club, particularly one like Bolton, can be quite difficult,” he said. “I was very realistic about that.
“I spent five years at Forest, and that’s quite a long time in football these days. But by the end of last season I’d got my head around the fact I’d be looking for new club. That’s when the manager gave me a call and invited me to come up with the team to Scotland and start pre-season. It was perfect.
“You can only go so far when you are training on your own, so to get that opportunity to get in there, get among the lads and prove myself was brilliant.”
Hobbs is confident he will add something to the Wanderers squad heading for West Brom tomorrow and has shown already in pre-season some of the organisational and leadership qualities which convinced Parkinson to offer him a one-year deal.
“I’m not even 30 yet – but I have experienced plenty and it’s not something you can buy,” he said. “I’ve been promoted from this division before, and I feel like I’ve got plenty of advice to pass on – especially to the younger players.”
Source