Although he loved every minute of his extended loan spell at League Two Aldershot, Chad.co.uk are reporting that winger Adam Smith can’t wait to win a Stags shirt back and remind fans what he can do.
Smith, not finding himself in new manager Paul Cox’s plans at the start of the season, went off to play for Dean Holdsworth.
“It was a fantastic experience in the Football League, playing week in, week out with some fantastic players,” he said. “I played quite a lot of games. Once I realised I was up for loan here, it was a case of finding the right place and I was grateful for the interest Dean Holdsworth showed in me.
“There were some old team mates there I knew from the past so overall it was a successful period for me.
“The manager had his ideas and at the time I wasn’t involved.
“The lads were doing well and playing well and I respect that. You have to be selfish at times and I just wanted to play football.”
“Now I’m back I know I have got to get my head down, train hard and hope things will work out.
“There are exciting times ahead. We are not a million miles away from the play-off places and anything is possible.
“I want to play in the League again. But there is a job to be done here and I am employed by Mansfield Town. This is a good league with some good players down here. I love playing football and will always give 100 per cent every time I put my boots on.”
Smith has returned to a very different dressing room with players coming in and going out during his absence and, with Smith being a left-sided midfield player, he knows Lindon Meikle is the man he needs to win the shirt back from.
“That’s football – there are always a lot of changes,” he said. “There’s new faces in the changing room and old mates like Paul Connor gone.
“Lindon Meikle is a fantastic player. He has come here and proved he can make the step-up as well as score goals.”