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George Thomason wants to be known for his football, and not his disciplinary record.
The Wanderers midfielder admits he hit a low after picking up a red card at Northampton Town earlier this month, triggering a three-game suspension.
He had previously accumulated 15 yellow cards in al competitions, leading to further missed games, which eclipsed what has been a year of progress on the pitch for the 23-year-old.
He returned on Saturday to score his fourth goal of the season at Blackpool, and signalled his intention to learn from his recent experiences.
“I have had time to assess my own game and I don’t ever want to be labelled as that kind of guy who goes around fouling people and getting booked. That overshadows me as a footballer,” he said.
“It is something I want to be conscious of, pick my moments and areas of the pitch, but it is about keeping that competitive edge whilst also contributing to the team.”
Thomason did not enjoy watching from the side-lines against Wycombe, Charlton and Cambridge, especially as injuries had bitten into Ian Evatt’s squad at the time.
Now back on the pitch, he is keen to show there is more to his game than some of his critics suggest.
“You definitely feel a bit of nervous anxiety from the side wishing you could impact the game but when you are in it, you’re in that kind of flow and state, you can affect it as much as you possibly can,” he said.
“I played the single pivot earlier in the season and that hindered me a little bit, and it is nobody else’s fault but mine. I was picking up needless bookings.
“Picking them up as frequently as I did, it was never going to help. I am them having to tip toe around for so much longer in the season.
“It is brilliant to be back out there now, and I don’t want to be labelled as this character who fouls and kicks lumps out of people, because I am not that kind of guy.
“It is something I am ready to learn from and shut my doubters up a little bit on that aspect.”
The low point for Thomason was trudging back to the dressing room at Northampton with his side a man and a goal down. They battled back to take a point with a strong second-half display but the midfielder does not want to go through that experience again.
“I felt really disappointed and felt like I’d let the boys down at Northampton, it really shone a light on it for me. It did give me a chance to reflect and I didn’t want to feel that way again. It felt like I had let my mates down because they really had to dig me out of the mud, to keep it PG,” he said.
“I am conscious about picking the right areas and situations where that kind of thing can happen.
“But I want to stay competitive, I want to give everything I can for the team. I have talked to a lot of people about it, and it is about treading that fine line between over-aggression and having edge about my game. It is about me discovering the right balance now and keeping it consistent.”
Adding more goals has been a target Thomason has met this season, and though his strike against Blackpool on Saturday counted for nothing, he would dearly like to reward the fans with another goal that mattered at Wigan on Tuesday night.
“If I could swap that one (at Blackpool) for a winner at Wigan, I’d have your hand off,” he smiled.
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