Archived News from June 2019
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OTIS KHAN ON NEW SEASON
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I want to prove myself - Khan
mansfieldtown.net, Wednesday 05 June 2019 Dynamic midfielder Otis Khan says he has a point to ‘prove’ to new boss John Dempster heading into the new campaign, someone who he says ‘knows what it means to be a Stag.’ Khan, who joined the amber and blue from Yeovil Town last summer, enjoyed a fruitful start to his Mansfield career, yet appearances were limited in the second half of the season. The 23-year-old says he views the upcoming campaign as a ‘clean slate.’ “It’s almost like a clean slate for me now and I can go again at the start of the season,” he said. “The new manager knows what I’m about and knows what I can do. “It’s up to me now to show him and show that I deserve to be in that starting 11 this season. “All I want to do now is play and prove myself to the new manager. He knows what sort of a player I am, it’s just up to me now in pre-season to show him what I’m really about. https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2019/june/khan-interview-05-june/ “I think it’s a good appointment [John Dempster as manager]. He knows the club inside out and has been here for years. “He knows what it means to be a Stag and what’s expected in those colours you wear on a Saturday. I think it’s a really good appointment. “When you come into pre-season and don’t know anyone, you wonder how each player plays and how the affect the game. But there’s none of that [this year]. “Everyone knows how each other plays and it’s good for everyone.” Khan, who spent a significant spell on the treatment table last term due to an Achilles injury, says that it was ‘painful’ watching from the sidelines. “Things didn’t work out the way I thought they were going to [last season],” added the midfielder. “But this is a season coming up where I’d like to play a lot more games. “The start of the [last] season - up until Christmas time - I thought was really good. I did well to score some goals and the team were in a good position. “Unfortunately, I got the injury which kept me out for two months, and when I came back I didn’t really get a chance again in the team. “It was a bit painful, to be honest, because I wanted to try and help the club as much as I could. But I’m still here to do so next season. “The six months I had when I wasn’t playing was really painful for myself, and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. “Seeing the lads out there doing well made me want to get into the team even more. When I didn’t, it was an upsetting time for me. “But now, I’ll use that to my advantage and do everything I can to get in the team. “I came back [from the injury] really fit and really strong. I just don’t think I was given that chance again to prove myself in the team. “Watching from the stands is never a good time for a player. But, as I was watching from the side, I was learning as well.” Stags’ number 10 revealed that he has been training ‘every day’ in the lead-up to the first team’s return to training on Wednesday 26 June, to ensure he is ‘firing on all cylinders’ in pre-season. “I didn’t play for a while, so I don’t really deserve a break at the moment. I’m training every day now to get ready for pre-season. “That’s a personal programme, so I’m speaking to people inside the club for tips and doing my own bits behind-the-scenes as well. “I’m just working hard to get myself ready for pre-season, to make sure I’m firing on all cylinders. “It’s all basic training linked in with football [at the moment]. It’s good for me to make sure I’m fully fit coming back. “I’ve already been on holiday for ten days with my girlfriend to Mexico, so now it’s just purely about getting ready for football.” iFollow Stags subscribers can watch Otis Khan’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today. --------------------- Mansfield Town midfielder Otis Khan has point to prove after being left out in the cold last season chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Wednesday 05 June 2019 Mansfield Town midfielder Otis Khan feels he has a point to prove after being overlooked by former boss David Flitcroft for the run-in to what ended up a failed attempt at promotion. Khan starred for the Stags earlier in the season after his move from Yeovil Town but, after being sidelined by an injury, Khan only played five times after the turn of the year and became a peripheral figure. “After six months out, the only thing I want to do now is play and prove myself to the new manager,” he said. “I thought I would have played a lot more games last season but things didn’t work out as I thought they would. https://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-midfielder-otis-khan-has-point-to-prove-after-being-left-out-in-the-cold-last-season-1-9803924 “So, this season coming up I want to play a lot more games. “From the start of last season up until Christmas time I thought it was really good. “I did well, scored some goals, and the team was in a good position and on an unbeaten run. “Unfortunately I got the injury and was out for two months. “Since I came back I didn’t really get a chance to get near the team. It was a bit painful to be honest as I wanted to try and help the club as much as I could. But I am still here to do so next season.” He added: “I think I did all my rehab really well when I was injured and I came back really fit and strong. But I just don’t think I was given that chance again to prove myself in the team. “It’s almost like a clean slate for me now and I can go again at the start of the season. “Obviously the new manager knows what I am about and what I can do. So it’s just up to me to show him now and why I deserve to be in that starting XI this year. “The six months I had when I wasn’t playing was really painful for myself and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. “Seeing the lads out there playing really well just made me want to get into the team even more. When I didn’t it was an upsetting time for me. “Now I will use that to my advantage and do everything I can to get into that starting XI. “Sitting from the side I knew I could go out and make an impact in all the games, but I just didn’t get the chance to do so. “Watching from the stand is never a good time for a player, but while I was watching I was learning as well and I knew I could make an impact. “I just hope I am in the manager’s plans next year.” With so little football under his belt this year, Khan has abandoned thoughts of a summer break and is working hard to make sure he can make an impact. “It’s not really a break for me. I didn’t play for a while when all the other lads played, so I don’t really deserve a break at the moment,” he said. “I am just training every day getting ready for pre-season. “That is a personal programme I am on after speaking to people in the club for little bits and doing my own stuff behind the scenes away from the club too. “I am just working hard and getting ready for pre-season so I am firing on all cylinders. “I went away on holiday to Mexico with my girlfriend for 10 days, so it’s now purely about getting ready for football.” Khan is happy with the appointment of John Dempster as the new manager. “I think it’s a good appointment. He knows the club inside out. He’s been here for years and played here as a player,” he said. “He’s been academy manager and watches all the games, so he knows what’s needed to be a Stag and what is expected when you put on those colours on a Saturday.” Khan also believes having the continuity of so many players still under contract from last year will help their next promotion drive. “It won’t be like coming in pre-season and you don’t know anybody,” he said. “You all know how each other plays and what effects different players have on a game. It’s good for everyone. “I will certainly be trying to affect the game a bit more when I am playing and give everything for the badge, which I always do.” --------------------- |
Latest | June 2019