Parkin looking to shine again

Thursday 16th July 2009, 11:26AM BST.

PARKIN 3 TS 16Walsall new-boy Sam Parkin has insisted he is not injury prone as he looks to re-ignite his career at the Banks’s Stadium.

The striker has penned a one-year deal, with a further year’s option, to become the Saddlers’ fourth summer signing after his release from Luton.

But the 28-year-old has suffered a string of injuries in recent years, including a broken ankle while at Ipswich in 2005.

Now he has declared himself fully fit and out to prove himself.

He said: “It’s something that’s behind me now. There’s no-one in particular I want to prove it to, like any set of supporters, but I want to prove it to myself that I’ve still got a lot to offer.

“I need to get back to where I was when I moved to Ipswich from Swindon. I’m 28-years-old and I’ve still got a lot to offer and I’m hungry. Hopefully if I can get a good start the best years are ahead of me.

“There have been glimpses of it in the last few years. Everyone knows I have ability. It’s a question of being at a club where you’re wanted, playing week in week out.”

Parkin, who had been training with the club for a week, rejected several offers to join the Saddlers.

Now he has set himself the target of recapturing the form which saw him score 73 goals in 142 appearances for Swindon.

He said: “I’d just like to be back among the goals regularly, it’s been a few years. I had a little stint at the end of a season a couple of years ago when I got six in 10, but it’s been a while since I’ve got three in two or four in five.

“It will be nice to get back among the goals, getting on that pitch and really believing I’m going to score every week.”

Parkin is just happy to have the chance to showcase his talents again, after three successive relegations with former club Luton.

He said: “If I’m being realistic, after the last couple of years I’ve had, the best I could hope for was a good League One club.

“This gives me a platform to get going again.”


  1. 1
    NICK

    it look’s like it could be four successive relegation’s mate ! released by Luton !! injuries , in and out of team’s , shipped out to other club’s , one year deal’s , sound’s like he had better be on a weekly contract !!! GOOD OLD AMBITIOUS WALSALL

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  2. 2
    Saddlertd

    NICK let’s get real. Walsall pick up players like Parkin who have, for some reason, not made it at their last club(s) and try to get the best out of them. If Parkin turns out to be the new Andy Rammell then I will be delighted. I like the look of our signings so far – they look decent players. I’m willing to back Hutch’s judgement, my only quibble is that we have only offered Hughes and O’Keefe one year contracts – should have been two years. UTS

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  3. 3
    LondonSaddler

    I think Parkin will be a good signing for Walsall. He is a proven goal scorer at this level. All he needs is to get himself fit, and I believe he is at the right club to do that. Shrewd move to have him on a one year deal with the option of another. If he’s a flop we can get rid of him if he proves a success we can keep him.
    I’d like to have seen Hughes get a longer deal and as for O’Keefe he has never played a competitive game of football, which for a 20 year old professional footballer isn’t great, so I don’t think you can justify giving him a longer deal. I think he will be a great acquisition but the jump from Reserve team football to competitive first team football can be big and it will be interesting to see how he adapts to it.

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  4. 4
    Bob

    100% agree with LondonSaddler.

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