Mansfield Town star Matt Green delighted with club's loan signing

Mansfield Town top scorer Matt Green can't wait to strike up an fruitful partnership with loan striker Mani Dieseruvwe as the play-off chasing Stags seek to end a run of three games without a goal.
Matt Green in full flow.Matt Green in full flow.
Matt Green in full flow.

Giant Chesterfield striker Dieseruvwe joined the club yesterday until the end of the season and is expected to make his debut against visiting Portsmouth on Saturday.

Green has often been played on his own up front this season and found himself isolated, but he has still netted 11 times.

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On hearing of the new 6ft 5ins signing, he said: “I think he will be a big boost to the team and a real handful. He will be an outlet and something we could do with right now.

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“It has been frustrating up there at times. I always give my all for the team and do my best.

“But sometimes you have just go to realise you need a bit of a helping hand. I think Mani could be a good asset to us.

“I have played up front on my own many times but sometimes at this level of football it’s not as effective. I am excited to get going now and build a partnership just like I have done with the other strikers.

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“He will want to get into the team and prove himself and prove that he can be effective for the team. I have no doubt he can do that and we will welcome him with open arms.”

Stags are 11th, five points off the play-offs, but Green stressed: “There are still 10 games and 30 points to play for.

“It’s hard to keep faith sometimes when we’ve lost a couple of games, but the changing room still has a lot of belief in there and hopefully everybody else around the club does as well.”

On Saturday’s visit of Pompey, he said: “It’s going to be a big game and a big crowd with points on the line. It’s a massive game as every game will be between now and the end of the season.”

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Green missed much of the last two seasons after a serious injury at Birmingham but feels that dark chapter is now well and truly behind him.

“I was out for two years but getting trained by a Championship club,” he said. “So I feel in peak condition and peak fitness. The are no issues there now.

“You do question at the start if you can play a full season. But I don’t think about it now and I am happy to be racking up the minutes.

“It will do me the world of good getting this season under my belt as psychologically you are going to question yourself when you’ve been out so long.

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“But there’s nothing to question any more. I’ve hit the back of the net and ticked the boxes. It’s just about improvement now.”

Green is still averaging about a goal every three games over his career but wants to try to up that to a goal every other game.

He said: “It’s a hard thing to do as from the start I’ve played on the wing and various positions I am still making up for, and there have been times I’ve not been playing.

“So to do that from the age of 18/19 when I broke into the game and maintain that is not bad at all. But me being me I want it to be better.”

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Green’s goals shot Stags to promotion from the Conference in 2013 before he moved on to Birmingham.

His return last summer was a surprise to a few fans. But Green said he never had any doubts about returning to the One Call Stadium.

“The fact I didn’t entertain many other clubs and I signed within three weeks of the season finishing shows where my head was at,” he said.

“I had no doubt I wanted to come back here and hopefully help Stags take it to the next level as I did previously. Nothing has changed. I’ve never lost faith or belief.

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“The unity has been here since the day I walked back in. You’ve got men there, big characters who bounce off each other.

“It’s only us that are able to get the results with the great work the manager is doing, listening to him and taking it all on board and growing as a team.”

Dieseruvwe’s loan was crucial after striker Adi Yussuf was banned for five games for urinating in public at Plymouth – a decision seen by many as very harsh.

“I just think he has been very unfortunate – very unlucky,” said Green.

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“It was a time where he was going to get his chance and play and something like that has taken the rug from under his feet a little bit.

“He does need an arm round him now to be picked up as he just wanted to do well for the team and score goals like any other striker.

“The good thing about Adi is he has time on his hands. He is 24 and he’s proved he can do it in the Football League.

“He just got to be patient right now. He has experienced players around him that will help him through this.”