Elgin City goalkeeper Thomas McHale has added hunger to push for League 2 title success after being left wondering what could have been.
Elgin had been in excellent form prior to the season being curtailed by coronavirus, winning seven of their last nine matches.
Although the Black and Whites were 25 points adrift of league winners Cove Rangers when the season was suspended in March, McHale feels City were starting to come good.
McHale is determined to take the winning formula into next season’s shortened 27-game campaign.
He said: “We were on such a good run. Who knows what could have happened? We finished in a great position, and I think we would have been in a better position come the play-offs.
“You see it in all aspects of football. Once you have that bit of success, you just want it more and more.
“This season is no different. I want to win the league, I know the boys want to win the league.
“I don’t think we are too far from that personally. It’s an exciting time.”
Elgin have the bulk of their squad signed up for next season, and Englishman McHale feels the stability will serve Gavin Price’s men well.
He added: “We have got 12 boys signed up, and we have the core of the squad staying on.
“From the position we were in last year, it showed the character of the boys. We were not in the best position come November time and we knew we had to pull it out of the bag and react.
“We did that and it’s exciting that so many of the boys who showed that character are staying for next season.We had good squad depth. We understand we will need to have people to come in so we can make changes, but hopefully they can come in and build on probably the strongest squad we have had in a long time.
“You see the fans talking about how they were so impressed with the squad last season. Hopefully we can better that this season and go that extra step.”
McHale admits returning to action after such a long spell away from football will be a step into the unknown.
He said: “After such a long period it can be tough. It’s something that nobody has ever experienced before, having no football for six months.
“This is something new to everyone, it will be different coming back. With the boys we’ve got, and whoever else may come in, they will understand the position we are in.”
