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Mark Howard hopes his new club Bolton Wanderers can succeed where his old club Sheffield United have failed so far, and escape League One.
Phil Parkinson’s fourth summer signing can see similarities between the two dressing rooms after their fall from grace in the Championship.
The Blades dropped down into the third tier in 2011 and have since struggled to get over the final hurdle, missing out in the play-offs three times out of five.
After just over four years Howard left Bramall Lane at the end of last season and walked straight into a club with comparable ambition. And in a strange twist of fate, United – now managed by Chris Wilder – will provide the opposition at the Macron on the opening day of the season.
“The two clubs are very similar for me,” he told The Bolton News. “I joined them (United) halfway through their season when they got relegated from the Championship and you can see that there's a lot of the same hunger and desire in the dressing room because the lads experienced what they did last year.
“I know that they want to put things right.
“I think as a team we have got to be realistic. It is going to be a hard season but I'm excited about playing against Sheffield United. Obviously I have got a lot of friends there and I was there for a long time. It will be a great test for us on the opening day to see where we are.”
Howard has two appearances under his belt in pre-season but is likely to go into the new campaign as Wanderers’ number two.
The 29-year-old hopes to spark up a friendly rivalry with Ben Amos for the first team spot but, typical of the mood within Parkinson’s camp at the moment, he looks forward to the challenge.
“Ben is obviously a very good goalkeeper,” he said. “He came through at Manchester United and obviously I have got to push him as much as I can.
“Personally I want to push myself as hard as I can. Hopefully that means I will play some games and then we will see where that takes me.”
Victory over Tranmere with the last kick of the game on Tuesday night has added a touch more buoyancy to the training ground but the over-riding vibe over the summer has been one of focus.
Organisation and hard work has been the edict handed down by Parkinson to his players – and Howard has been impressed by what he has seen so far.
“It has been excellent,” he said. “Obviously the size of the club is massive and what they want to achieve is a positive way forward as well.
“It's just good to be part of something. We want a fresh start for the club and to kick on.
“Training is very competitive and the lads are all good lads as well but obviously it's all about the nitty gritty and we all want to play games.”
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Phil Parkinson’s fourth summer signing can see similarities between the two dressing rooms after their fall from grace in the Championship.
The Blades dropped down into the third tier in 2011 and have since struggled to get over the final hurdle, missing out in the play-offs three times out of five.
After just over four years Howard left Bramall Lane at the end of last season and walked straight into a club with comparable ambition. And in a strange twist of fate, United – now managed by Chris Wilder – will provide the opposition at the Macron on the opening day of the season.
“The two clubs are very similar for me,” he told The Bolton News. “I joined them (United) halfway through their season when they got relegated from the Championship and you can see that there's a lot of the same hunger and desire in the dressing room because the lads experienced what they did last year.
“I know that they want to put things right.
“I think as a team we have got to be realistic. It is going to be a hard season but I'm excited about playing against Sheffield United. Obviously I have got a lot of friends there and I was there for a long time. It will be a great test for us on the opening day to see where we are.”
Howard has two appearances under his belt in pre-season but is likely to go into the new campaign as Wanderers’ number two.
The 29-year-old hopes to spark up a friendly rivalry with Ben Amos for the first team spot but, typical of the mood within Parkinson’s camp at the moment, he looks forward to the challenge.
“Ben is obviously a very good goalkeeper,” he said. “He came through at Manchester United and obviously I have got to push him as much as I can.
“Personally I want to push myself as hard as I can. Hopefully that means I will play some games and then we will see where that takes me.”
Victory over Tranmere with the last kick of the game on Tuesday night has added a touch more buoyancy to the training ground but the over-riding vibe over the summer has been one of focus.
Organisation and hard work has been the edict handed down by Parkinson to his players – and Howard has been impressed by what he has seen so far.
“It has been excellent,” he said. “Obviously the size of the club is massive and what they want to achieve is a positive way forward as well.
“It's just good to be part of something. We want a fresh start for the club and to kick on.
“Training is very competitive and the lads are all good lads as well but obviously it's all about the nitty gritty and we all want to play games.”
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