Dante Polvara spoke to the media on Christmas Eve as he previewed our game with Kilmarnock and the midfielder also reflected on his journey back from injury.
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“It’s been another year of challenges which I always try and find a way to be grateful for. It has allowed me to spend some more time outside of football which is important too. You probably spend more time focusing on football at the same time because you spend a lot of time in here when you’re hurt, a few of the boys who have picked up little niggles here and there have said that they didn’t realise how hard it was and you have to work even harder.
“I am still not quite fully fit and away from it so I am knocking on wood but I am doing everything I can to stay injury free and get back to full fitness.
“I have just been wanting to play football so I guess that takes the pressure off of me a wee bit. It is easier to do so when I have come on twice when we’re down and you don’t play with as much pressure as you do when you’re holding onto a lead or it’s tight, you have a bit more of a freedom to go and try stuff and make it happen. I am excited to play and be grateful for it.
“I have watched everything on the side-lines for a few months. I spent a lot of time analysing how we can benefit and how I can help change things and provide something different. I am happy to be out there and just enjoy it and be exciting and try things.
“The manager talks about playing forward quickly and the best pass is if you can put your striker through on goal but most of the times that is not on. Getting us playing forward and playing quick is something I can bring. We play well when we move the ball quickly and we’re exciting like that. It’s maybe something we have got away from for a bit but it’s definitely something we will have back.
“I am very excited to work under the manager. It has been a stranger experience because I had a few weeks of pre-season training and was starting to figure it out (how the manager wants to play) and then obviously I got injured. It gives you a completely different perspective especially if you’re in the coaches room and you’re seeing what they are thinking and speaking about. I have spent a lot of time analysing the way he wants to play, I defiantly enjoy it.
“It’s good for the style of play required here, which is a high intensity game, a lot of running, a lot of fitness and being exciting especially when we get the ball and a team like us who has the quality to do so and of course trying to win in it back and try to be strong.
“Being able to do it both ways and it’s something I have always tried to bring to my game, being effective going both ways. I do enjoy it and feel like I will be able to fit in well when I am fully fit. I really enjoy working with the manager and his staff. It has been refreshing to have something different.
“It was going perfectly until I re-joined the squad! You are always going to have a dip, there are hardly any teams in the world who could keep that going. It’s all about trying to get out of it and Thursday is a great opportunity. I am looking forward to that.
“Kilmarnock are a tough team to play against, especially away and they have a really experienced manager. They have some really good players. It will be a good battle and a good test. When things are not going really well you have to be fully at it to get the three points and that is what we need to be at the moment to be at our best and get back to our best. It is the perfect opportunity to do so.”
