Refreshed star ready to make an impact
SERIOUS injury last year may have given Elliott Bennett a fresh perspective on football – but that hasn’t stopped him setting his targets high for the 2014-15 campaign.The 25-year-old damaged knee ligaments against Everton on the opening day of last season, and only made his return as a substitute against Arsenal in May.
When catching up with Norwich City TV during the Club’s Italy tour, a reinvigorated Bennett explained that he wants his football to do the talking come August.
“I missed a massive part of the football last year and that’s what I love to do, so to just be back out there with the lads is thoroughly enjoyable, but I’m not resting on my laurels,” he said.
“I want to be in the first team for the first game of the season and I want to have an impact on what will hopefully be a really successful campaign.”
Prior to flying out to the Aosta Valley region of Italy, the Canaries were put through a rigorous fitness programme at Colney and St George’s Park – and Bennett believes it could make the difference.
“We all know what the goal is, and the goal is promotion. If that means putting in the extra hours on the training ground that the other teams maybe are not, that’s only going to give us an advantage,” he added.
“It’s not just been about running, there are parts of it where we’ve been using the ball and doing conditioning work at the same time, so it’s been an enjoyable pre-season. Hopefully we can take all the hard work that we’ve been putting in and take it into that first game.”
That match is against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Bennett spent five seasons as an apprentice and then professional the beginning of his career, and he ‘cant’ wait’ to go back.
“I think I might need a few tickets off the lads, I’ve already started asking them!” he laughed.
“I’m really looking forward to going back, hopefully we’ll put in a positive performance and come back with all three points, which is obviously the main thing.”
MARK ROBSON | FIVE THINGS A COACH LOOKS FOR IN PRE-SEASON. READ HERE:norw.ch/Robson5