Alan Moogan eyes AFC Telford captaincy
Player-coach Alan Moogan today confirmed he sees his future at AFC Telford United - and believes taking up the captaincy would bring out the best in him.
The experienced midfielder is the top candidate to wear the armband for next season, after previous skipper Simon Grand left the club to sign for Barrow.
Moogan has operated as the on-field leader for manager Liam Watson before, captaining the Southport side during the Bucks boss' most successful season.
The duo helped the Sandgrounders to seventh place in the Skrill Conference Premier, where Telford have just been promoted to, over the 2011-12 campaign.
Watson landed the Non-League Manager of the Year accolade as a result and Moogan, 30, is daring to dream of emulating that feat with Telford the benefactors.
He said: "I have been captain under Liam before and it was the best season I'd had in a long time, in terms of my own performance. I am ready to step up again.
"It's vitally important that I have a good pre-season. Our fitness has to be sky high in the Conference Premier, as most teams are full-time, and the gaffer knows it.
"I always keep myself ticking over, in terms of fitness, but I am careful as I know what happens when you don't listen to your body. Liam will work us very hard.
"I know what he will put us through, it's not crazy but it's fair graft. We can survive, if our application and tactics are right. If we don't, I feel we will have under-achieved."
Moogan will remain on non-contract forms at the New Bucks Head next season, after sitting out most of the last campaign with a troublesome groin injury that needed surgery.
He can't sign a pending deal, in any case, after cashing in on an insurance policy that forced him out of the full-time game with Everton in 2004, due to a serious knee problem.
He played an active role on the back-room staff while he was sidelined, working his way back towards playing and breaking back into the starting line-up by the season's end.
He said: "I am happy to stay at Telford and I feel I am progressing in the things I want to do, with the coaching but I still feel I have got a few years left in me as a player yet.
"I want to be hanging up my boots at 35 or 36, not any time soon."
