Frustrated Kieran Wallace targets regular starts for Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town utility man Kieran Wallace is hoping to put a string of injuries behind him in recent years and nail down a place in Mansfield Town's starting line up.
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Wallace, who has worked with boss Nigel Clough before at both Sheffield United and Burton Albion, has suffered a series of career setbacks from an anterior cruciate ligament injury to a dislocated shoulder and concussion.

And he admits the only way to get fully fit and show his quality is by playing regularly.

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Since arriving in January he has so far he has only started four league games for Mansfield but come on as a sub in 21 others.

Kieran Wallace - chasing regular starts.Kieran Wallace - chasing regular starts.
Kieran Wallace - chasing regular starts.

“It's been very stop-start for me. I feel off the pitch I have settled in quite well but on the pitch has been a bit frustrating,” he said.

“I knew it would be tough to get starts when I joined in January as I had joined a team that was playing really well.

“I was just coming back from injury when I joined too, so I knew I had a bit of catching up to do.

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“In the summer I really though I could kick on and push for a place in the team. But then I missed pre-season through an injury.

“So it's been frustrating and I have had to make a lot of appearances from the bench. I am just trying to build my fitness up as much as I can and get as much game time as I can when called upon.

“I was building it up then I got a clash of heads in the Derby game. I was seeing stars for a week or two so I was sat at home de-conditioning again.”

He continued: “I am the sort of player that needs regular training and regular games to get my fitness. I am not naturally the fittest – I think anyone that watches me play can tell that by the way I run and move. It's no secret I need game time and a lot of minutes to get going.

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“The last couple of weeks I have got some minutes under my belt and I am really trying to get that base fitness to kick on and show what I am about.

“I have had to battle injuries most of my career – it's not just started here.

“But I am more understanding about coming back from them now which is helping. When I was younger it was more annoying. I understand what I am about now and how to implement that. Injuries are part and parcel of football.”

Wallace knows his ability to play several positions is sometimes a hindrance to being picked regularly.

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“I have always played in a number of positions at every club,” he said.

“Sometimes that works for me and sometimes against me. It means I can be a good squad player but when everyone is fit and I look where there is a position for me, you can slip out the back door a bit.

“I will just keep working hard and try to nail down a spot.

“I don't mind where I play. The qualities I possess probably suits midfield the most.

“I am a bit of an inbetweener as a central midfielder and a centre half really. I am better facing the play. When you are at the back the game is in front of you which suits me a bit more.

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“But I don't have a lot of pace and I am not the tallest to be centre half, especially in this league. When I was playing there in League One for Burton it probably suited me a bit more at the back.

“We have some fantastic footballers in our midfield at Mansfield – definitely the best in this league. They could play at a higher level. But when I go in there I think I can offer something a little bit different – maybe a bit more physicality.”

Wallace is grateful to Clough for the faith shown in him during his three spells with him.

“He is very straight to the point,” he said.

“I certainly know where I stand with him and he has been very good for me and my career.

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“He was obviously a very good player, became a very good manager, and has helped me a lot and shown a lot of faith in me.

“I think my game suits the way he wants to play.

“At Sheffield United he signed me from Ilkeston along with Che Adams, then when I joined Burton I was on trial at another club but dislocated my shoulder playing cricket.

“I asked if I could go in and train with them and I went in for a couple of months to get my fitness up again and ended up signing a short term deal to help out as they were short and it snowballed from there, so that was obviously a big break for me. He repayed the loyalty for me turning up every day for no pay and working as hard as I could.

“Sometimes managers can overcomplicate the game, but he makes it very simple how he wants you to play which suits me. Players want to perform for him and that's how he gets the best out of them and gets results.

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“The ultimate goal this season is promotion though on a personal note I want to get as many minutes as possible and try to earn another contract.”

Wallace played the second half of Saturday's 1-0 FA Cup win in the mudbath at Barrow and said: “It was a hard-fought win, especially with the weather conditions, and we did well to hang on in the end.

“We were on the back foot a lot but I thought we defended well.

“It was a tough game to come on into. I felt like I was literally running in mud – quicksand at times. But I thought we saw it out pretty well in the end.”