Moving to Scotland was unfamiliar territory for Peterhead defender Kevin Joshua, but he has made it a home away from home.
Joshua is one of five Peterhead players who came up from England this season to reignite their careers and try to help the Blue Toon stave off relegation.
The former West Brom youngster found himself out of football after his release from the Hawthorns last summer. It took six months and the arrival of David Robertson to Peterhead to bring that period to a close.
He is currently living in Dundee with striker Josh Oyinsan, while Daniel Fosu, Glenn Gabriel and Elie Ikwa also reside in the city.
For a group of players living far from home, having familiar faces nearby is a comfort.
“I left Ireland when I was 17, so it hasn’t been too much of a stress,” said Joshua. “There’s a good group of us down here.
“There’s a bond between the lads and we can see each other on days off, going out to do things together.
“If I was by myself it would be quite difficult to adapt to life here. But with the other lads living here in Dundee, we’re all adapting together.
“We all travel up together for games and training and sometimes go to the gym together.
“We’re all just trying to help each other and help the team. The gaffer puts on extra sessions for the Dundee guys on a Monday too.”
Struggle against the drop continues
On a personal level, Joshua is getting back to where he wants to be, in both form and fitness. Additional sessions put on by Robertson have proved beneficial to those who have travelled north purely for football.
Matters on the field though are not going to plan. Defeat to Clyde last weekend has Peterhead back three points adrift at the bottom of League One, with the two so far adrift of automatic safety it is essentially a fight between who goes down and who gets a seat in the last-chance saloon of the play-offs.
Despite their malaise, the mood remains positive at Balmoor, with Joshua confident they have the wherewithal to dig themselves out of a hole.
“I feel like the results are going to come,” said Joshua. “We’ve been getting better as a team; the last game against Clyde, we put in a good performance. We just need to get the results.
“It’s all about getting that one result in then others will follow. We’re growing in confidence as a team – we all want to win. We all want to do well for each other, for the fans and for the team.
“We just want to show what we can do. The confidence is there, you can see it in training.
“So far it’s been a good experience – the lads and the gaffer are great. It’s a good club and I’m enjoying it.
“My fitness has improved with playing more games and I’m near enough where I want to be. But there’s more to come.”
Kelty Hearts are the opponents this afternoon in the north-east and after relocating their training base to Balmoor, the hope is they can reap the benefits of home comforts.
“We go into every game with a winning attitude,” added Joshua. “We’ll do our best and take each game as it come.”
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