Stand-in skipper delighted to get more game time on road to recovery.
Paul Keegan is looking to force his way in to the reckoning as the winter months dawn on the football season.
The Irish enforcer skippered Rovers in a battling 0-0 draw in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday evening against Port Vale but it’s the cut and thrust of the league campaign he relishes.
“A lot of lads haven’t played so its good to get some minutes and go through – that’s an important thing – as it’s a cup we want to win and get to Wembley and that’s what everyone wants to do,” he said.
“Especially with the amount of games we’ve got in the league, its important that we’ve got a home game.
“The more games I can get, the better and get that bit of sharpness, get fit. That’s the priority at the moment but I was happy to get the 90 minutes, I felt good and I just need to build on that.”
The thirty-two-year old hasn’t featured in the league since March, but with the aid of rest, recuperation and quizzes – to boost team morale – he could play a part in Saturday’s long haul trip to Exeter.
“League Two; there’s some good teams, some that are organised and hard to break down. They obviously see us as a big team when in this division and I think we’ve coped well,” he continued.
“The most important thing is to recover. It’s obviously a long trip down there. It’s part of the game and its nothing to trouble us I don’t think.
“There’s a lot of overnight stays and things like that. There’s good team spirit, staying over on a Friday night and we have a few quizzes probably gets the squad together and bonds us a bit more so I don’t see it as a negative.”