Wilkes: I’d love to face rebels

Source: Lancashire Telegraph

By Gavin Gibbon

PADIHAM manager Steve Wilkes is gutted he isn't still playing, so he could pick himself for tomorrow's FA Vase match against high- flying FC United.

Wilkes said the whole squad was looking forward to the game and admitted to having goose bumps as he talked about the fixture.

He said: "I don't think our players will be overawed by the occasion. I only wish I was two or three years younger so that I could pick myself.

"It's going to be a fantastic day, the atmosphere is going to be fantastic. I watched them on Tuesday night at Salford and their fans never stopped singing. There was about 4,000 of them.

"Some of the kids in our squad have never played in front of a crowd that big before and they might never again.

"The last thing I'll be saying to the players as they leave the changing room on Saturday will be to enjoy the day, because it might never come round again.

"I can't wait. I get goose bumps when I think about it. As a player, I used to get butterflies when I played and I've got that feeling back again.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

FC United have gone from strength to strength since their rebel formation last year with promotion in their first season.

And they started this season in similarly blistering fashion with 12 straight wins - a 2-1 defeat to Salford during the week was their first loss of the campaign.

But Wilkes, who watched his side go down 3-2 and 2-1 against United last season, said they would be treating their visit to the Arbories the same as any other game.

He said: "I asked the players after last Saturday's match if they wanted to do anything different for this game. If they wanted to meet early and have a bite to eat at the club and they all said they wanted to prepare as if it was just another game.

"I think it'll be an eye opener for some of their players who haven't played here before.

"And I've seen one or two things from their game on Tuesday that I think we can explore.

"You know what cup competitions are like. You never know on the day what can happen. We're definitely not fearing them though.

"I wouldn't be doing my job properly if I said we were going to line nine men behind the ball.

"We're going to go out there, give it our best shot and enjoy it."

Wilkes has a fully-fit squad to choose from.