Interview with Dan Spence

When attempting to assuage a group of supporters dissatisfied by their club’s lack of incoming transfer activity, many a football manager has fallen into the trap of hailing the potential impact of a player returning from injury as similar to that of ‘a new signing’.

In the case of Richard Hill and Dan Spence, Eastleigh’s boss really can consider his elegant full-back as a high-calibre addition to his illustrious clutch of summer acquisitions. 

After a highly promising start to his career at the Silverlake, Dan suffered a season ending shoulder injury on just his fourth Spitfires appearance. It was a cruel blow for both the club and, as he confirms, the player himself;

‘It was very frustrating. Of the four games I’d been at the club we’d been doing well. I was in the team and performing quite well, and it was just a freak injury.

‘On the night (February 26th against Havant and Waterlooville) it was freezing cold and the ground was rock solid. I went over on my shoulder and just heard a click/pop sound and that was that.

photo by Tony Smith Photography

‘It was so frustrating because we were doing well and the team was on the up. It was so innocuous. I was running down the line and just got tripped. As I was in a running stride, I couldn’t get my arms out quickly enough and I landed square on my shoulder’.

Integrating back into the team will not be a problem for a man who was thrust into the fray just hours after he signed. Dan can recall with clarity the Tuesday in February which marked his debut, – a 1-0 win at the Silverlake against Salisbury City – and the hectic days preceding it.

Was the transfer as sudden as it appeared to the fans, who knew nothing of Dan’s arrival until they saw his, then, unfamiliar name on the team-sheet?

‘I’d left Hayes & Yeading the week before, spoken to Richard Hill, and we’d had a conversation about me coming down. It got to the Monday evening and we tried sending some forms over via e-mail to get signed, and eventually got them completed on the Tuesday morning.

‘Then I came into the dressing room as a new lad. It was a bit daunting. I went straight into the team, and we got the 1-0 win against a side which was top of the league and it went from there’.

And what of that dressing room into which he needed to gel so rapidly?

‘I couldn’t wish for a better group of lads (to join). I really couldn’t have asked for more from the other boys. They welcomed me in even though they’d never seen me before. I’d not been able to go into training when you can get to know people a bit better. Then you’re thrown into a game situation and you’ve just got to adapt straight away’.

In fact, the home support among the 872 present on February 12th to witness the manner in which Dan slotted in so comfortably wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that their new defender had received his football education as a trainee with Reading.

Still only 23, Dan is brimming with ambition, and would ‘love’ another shot at the professional game.

‘I’ve never given up on it. You’ve got to adapt from being full-time to going part-time. The good thing about Eastleigh is that we’re aiming to go towards that with training during the day.

‘I’d love to play in the league, and test myself against opposition of a higher standard’.

That would be at the expense of his current supplementary work as a Teaching Assistant, but with progression in his football career Dan’s predominant aim, he considers it a sacrifice worth making. Indeed, Eastleigh’s day time regime has already necessitated a drop in his school based involvement.

Back to those Spitfires supporters, and Dan is relishing his impending chance to remind them of his ability.

‘I just want to have a good run of games, stay injury free and show the fans what I can do, help the team push on and have a good start to the season’.

It’s an outlook which fits neatly with both Dan’s, and Eastleigh’s, longer-term aspirations.

‘First and foremost I want to perform to the best of my ability for the team. We’ve got some great players here this year. We’ve bought in some brilliant people, and we’ve got some really good players from last season. We really should be pushing for minimum play-offs, but hopefully we’re going to be right up there towards the end.

‘Personally, I’d love a push at playing in a higher league, and if it’s with Eastleigh even better’.

By Paul McNamara