Port Vale winger looks ahead to Saturday’s League One clash with Forest Green Rovers at Vale Park.
- Gavin Massey | “We won’t be complacent”
- Port Vale winger on his side’s League One clash with Forest Green Rovers, last weekend’s win at Derby County and adapting to a new role at right wing back
- Massey: “I feel up to speed and fit; it is probably the fittest I have felt in a long time and I have played regular football for the last few games and hopefully that continues.”
Port Vale winger Gavin Massey says Darrell Clarke’s side won’t allow complacency to creep in as they look to build on their solid start to life back in League One.
Massey, who has twice won promotion from the third tier with Wigan, has started each of the Vale’s last four league fixtures, including last weekend’s 2-1 win at Derby County.
The win at Pride Park has instilled further confidence in the Vale camp, though Massey says the Vale cannot be complacent against last season’s League Two winners.
“It fills you with confidence; when you go away from home – especially against a big side like Derby – and put in a performance the way we did, with coming back from a goal behind,” Massey explained.
“Going into Saturday, hopefully we can take that in against Forest Green. It shows that we are in this league for a reason, we can perform against the bigger sides.
“We can’t get complacent, though, we know that Saturday is a massive game and if we get three points that will another boost in where we go in the table – we would rather be looking upwards than downwards.
“League One is a tough league; teams can beat each other, and you see that in the results. We can’t get complacent, it has been a good week’s training and everyone is on a high but we know that Saturday is equally as important as any other game.”
Massey’s gradual introduction into Clarke’s side has come after he joined the club late in the summer transfer window, without a full pre-season under his belt.
Now 12 appearances into his Vale career in all competitions, Massey feels he is as fit as he has been in recent seasons and believes consistent football only enhances his performances.
“I feel up to speed and fit,” the former Wigan Athletic winger continued. “It is probably the fittest I have felt in a long time. I have played regular football for the last few games and hopefully that continues.
“For any footballer, consistent football and playing regularly is so important for their confidence and run of form. It is not a given that I will play week in and week out because we have competition for places.
“I have only started playing as a right wing back in the past 12 months; it is new to me but I am versatile, can play in different positions and I don’t really feel the fear, I like the one-v-one battles – both attacking and defending – and have played against good players and like to think I have come out on top on many occasions.”