Stags' defender Matt Preston says he is looking to match manager David Flitcroft's enthusiasm on the pitch in the upcoming 2018-19 Sky Bet League Two season.
Recently-signed Stags' centre-back Matt Preston has been happily welcomed into the squad by his new teammates and - as one of just a handful of summer signings by boss David Flitcroft - looks to leave everything on the pitch for the manager, who has highly praised Preston’s performances.
"I’m going to replicate his [Flitcroft’s] enthusiasm," Preston said. "It’s a good feeling knowing you can do your thing and you know the gaffer is going to back you.
"[The pre-season] has gone very well. We’ve played a lot of very good Championship teams and got some wins, and that can only be a confidence boost going into the season.
"For myself personally, I’d say the number one thing for me is to play the games. I think that the more you play and the more experience you get, the more you learn.
"I’m more about learning and I want to develop my game and play at the highest level I can, and I think that’s everyone’s ambition in football.
"As a team, I personally don’t like to look too far ahead. I like to think of each performance as they come. If you get a good performance in the league, then all the other things will look after themselves.
"I’m going to replicate his [Flitcroft’s] enthusiasm. It's a good feeling knowing you can do your thing and you know the gaffer is going to back you."
"I like to just think of where I am at the time. I just want to play the best that I can per week, and the rest will look after itself in the future."
Despite only joining Mansfield in the summer, Preston has heard talk from his teammates that there’s a different feeling in the dressing room compared to the majoirty of last season.
"I don’t know what it was like last year, but from what the players are saying, it’s a completely different atmosphere and there’s more togetherness.
"That’s what you need in a football team. It has to be a team – not just individuals."
Preston also commented on what he believes is a versatile, determined Stags' team that is focused on taking it match-by-match this season.
"I’d say being dynamic is our number one thing. We’ve got a lot of strings to our bow.
"We can change formation and we can play different types of football with the players that we’ve got. That’s a credit to the gaffer for the players that he’s recruited.
"Everyone is going to give their all in every game. I feel like that’s what fans want to see. They want to see people throwing themselves in front of tackles, blocking, and passing the ball right to make it look like it means something - because it definitely means something.
"I feel like you’re putting in added pressure if you start to think too far ahead and get carried away. It’s best to stay grounded, think about what’s going on right now and concentrate on your personal performance for each game.
"We will give 100 percent effort in our performances."
