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Dean Moxey hopes a new year will bring some new luck for himself and Wanderers.
Frozen out for long periods of last season by the consistent Tim Ream it was only after the American’s departure to Fulham that the former Derby County man really got a chance to shine for the Whites.
Moxey had been one of Neil Lennon’s most consistent performers despite playing with painkilling injections on a toe injury sustained early on in the campaign against MK Dons.
He has only recently managed to get back into the side, helped by a timely suspension for Jose Manuel Casado, and is now closing in on 400 career appearances.
Now, looking back on a year of highs and lows, Moxey is keen to make up for lost time at the Macron Stadium.
“Last season was difficult for me given that I didn’t get as much game time as I would have liked but I couldn’t begrudge Tim (Ream) his place in the team because he was playing so well,” he said.
“I couldn’t go and knock on the manager’s door and demand to know why I wasn’t playing because I knew he was doing a job for us and that’s not my style – I would never go in and demand answers like that.
“I just knew that if I continued to train as I was doing and give everything that I had, the chance would come for me to stake my claim for a place in the team.
“I was getting chances here and there but it wasn’t completely what I would have liked because like any player, I just want to be out there on the pitch.
“This year I really did feel as though I’d started well and the gaffer told me that he was pleased with my contribution, which is all you can ask for.
“I just wanted to keep on playing but it was just my luck that the injury came along when it did. It’s hard to sit and watch from the sidelines – obviously I saw the games and the lads were constantly saying how they felt they weren’t playing badly and that it just wasn’t falling for us.
“I’m back now and I’m ready to fight for my place once again. Hopefully we can kick on over Christmas and really push onwards during the rest of the season to get us out of the situation we find ourselves in.
“We’ve got to stick together – realistically we know what our job is this season and although we’ve had some terrible luck with injuries, especially with young Max Clayton lately, we can’t blame everything on bad luck.”
Wanderers face relegation rivals Rotherham United on Boxing Day and Huddersfield Town either side of a derby clash with Blackburn Rovers – a passage of fixtures that many believe will determine whether the club stands a realistic chance of escaping the bottom three.
From a practical point of view, family man Moxey – whose wife is also expecting another new arrival soon – is hoping for more reasons to celebrate the festive run.
“It’s always difficult at this time of year to find the balance between work and home life – it’s a busy time in general but I’ll always do my best to get as much as I can crammed in,” he said.
“I love the whole season, especially for my kids and the lead-up to Christmas involves lots of festive films and decorations!
“Christmas Day as a player is always hard and generally you’ll train in the afternoon and then go and stay in a hotel, but I’ve done it for so many years now that it’s practically second nature.
“Of course it’s disappointing to cut the festivities with the family a bit short but it’s the nature of the career and we know we have got a job to do.
“Hopefully when I retire I’ll be able to take my kids to Lapland or something else over Christmas, but that’s something further down the line.”
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Frozen out for long periods of last season by the consistent Tim Ream it was only after the American’s departure to Fulham that the former Derby County man really got a chance to shine for the Whites.
Moxey had been one of Neil Lennon’s most consistent performers despite playing with painkilling injections on a toe injury sustained early on in the campaign against MK Dons.
He has only recently managed to get back into the side, helped by a timely suspension for Jose Manuel Casado, and is now closing in on 400 career appearances.
Now, looking back on a year of highs and lows, Moxey is keen to make up for lost time at the Macron Stadium.
“Last season was difficult for me given that I didn’t get as much game time as I would have liked but I couldn’t begrudge Tim (Ream) his place in the team because he was playing so well,” he said.
“I couldn’t go and knock on the manager’s door and demand to know why I wasn’t playing because I knew he was doing a job for us and that’s not my style – I would never go in and demand answers like that.
“I just knew that if I continued to train as I was doing and give everything that I had, the chance would come for me to stake my claim for a place in the team.
“I was getting chances here and there but it wasn’t completely what I would have liked because like any player, I just want to be out there on the pitch.
“This year I really did feel as though I’d started well and the gaffer told me that he was pleased with my contribution, which is all you can ask for.
“I just wanted to keep on playing but it was just my luck that the injury came along when it did. It’s hard to sit and watch from the sidelines – obviously I saw the games and the lads were constantly saying how they felt they weren’t playing badly and that it just wasn’t falling for us.
“I’m back now and I’m ready to fight for my place once again. Hopefully we can kick on over Christmas and really push onwards during the rest of the season to get us out of the situation we find ourselves in.
“We’ve got to stick together – realistically we know what our job is this season and although we’ve had some terrible luck with injuries, especially with young Max Clayton lately, we can’t blame everything on bad luck.”
Wanderers face relegation rivals Rotherham United on Boxing Day and Huddersfield Town either side of a derby clash with Blackburn Rovers – a passage of fixtures that many believe will determine whether the club stands a realistic chance of escaping the bottom three.
From a practical point of view, family man Moxey – whose wife is also expecting another new arrival soon – is hoping for more reasons to celebrate the festive run.
“It’s always difficult at this time of year to find the balance between work and home life – it’s a busy time in general but I’ll always do my best to get as much as I can crammed in,” he said.
“I love the whole season, especially for my kids and the lead-up to Christmas involves lots of festive films and decorations!
“Christmas Day as a player is always hard and generally you’ll train in the afternoon and then go and stay in a hotel, but I’ve done it for so many years now that it’s practically second nature.
“Of course it’s disappointing to cut the festivities with the family a bit short but it’s the nature of the career and we know we have got a job to do.
“Hopefully when I retire I’ll be able to take my kids to Lapland or something else over Christmas, but that’s something further down the line.”
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