Priestley Farquharson expects ‘feisty’ date with Swindon

Farquharson will come up against ex-Walsall boss Michael Flynn, who also gave him his EFL debut at Newport County in 2021.

“It’s going to be a feisty one,” Farquharson reveals. “Obviously against my ex-manager and all that sort of stuff.

“It’ll be a good game and we’ll be ready to go.

“These are the sort of games you want to play. I can’t wait.”

Farquharson was forced to wait for his Walsall debut after sustaining a groin injury prior to their League Two opener at Morecambe.

But his experience on the sidelines at Newport taught him to focus on coming back stronger than ever.

“I was annoyed, I was frustrated, and I was so down that week because I was buzzing to go,” he recalls. “It was frustrating but I’ve been injured before so I know how it goes.

“Most people think it’s physical, but mostly it’s mental, because it’s about keeping yourself positive.

“It happens. It happens to all of us. It’s not your fault.

“You don’t want to be injured so you’ve got to get in the gym, smash it out every day, get as strong as I can, and I know that I’ll come back better because I’ll be fitter and stronger.”

His long-awaited return from injury has coincided with back-to-back victories over Colchester and Salford respectively.

Farquharson has exuded both authority and composure at the back, and insists his confident mindset is his most powerful motivational tool.

He explains: “You’ve got to be confident. If you go into any game with fear then what’s the point?

“You are already beaten as soon as you get out on the pitch. I am confident in myself and I am confident that my team-mates will deliver.

“For example, he (Jake Young) has scored a few goals but he hasn’t played against me. That’s how I see it in my head.

“It’s just another game, another opponent and another striker that I’ve got to go up against. He is going to be good but so am I and it’ll be a good battle.”