Little Confident Torquay Can Keep The Success Coming

After penning a deal with Karl Robinson’s Oxford United 12 months ago, a loan move to Woking came about not long after. As a result, he spent a good chunk of last season plotting his current employers title downfall in the National League South.

In fact, it was his free-kick that settled the Promotion Final against Welling United back in May to send Alan Dowson’s men up – etching himself into Cardinals folklore until the end of time.

Gary Johnson and Torquay United took note of the 22-year-old’s obvious quality and reached out following his release from Oxford United at the end of last season after a handful of senior appearances.

But, as the midfielder explains, he didn’t need much convincing to head to the South West.

“Torquay are a big club for this league – they’re run like a Football League club,” he said. “I wanted to stay full time and that’s something Torquay could offer so that made my decision a lot easier.

“But Gary Johnson was a major part of me coming down here if I’m honest,” he added.

“The experience he has and the fact he’s been there and done it in the Championship, League One, League Two and even the National League is definitely a boost for all the boys, and it helps a lot.”

All eyes then turned to the big kick-off on August 3 and a home game to get the new season underway against Boreham Wood.

First game. First win. This National League business is easy, right?

Wrong. In the three games that followed, Little and Torquay would take just a point from games against Solihull Moors, Bromley and Maidenhead United.

“We won the first game which was important,” Little explains.

“Apart from the Solihull Moors game, we’ve been the better side than the other teams, so we don’t feel we’ve got the results that we maybe should’ve come away with.

“There are a few things we need to tighten up on,” he continued. “But on the whole, we’ve got a squad that can do well in this league and push on.

“We’re starting to gel as a team more so hopefully, if we cut out the silly mistakes and hold on to games and have better game management, I think we’ll be right up there.”

On Saturday, the whole country will be watching as the BT Sport cameras coast into Plainmoor for the Gulls clash with Aldershot Town.

With the home side now being out of the Football League for five years, Little thinks it’s the perfect chance to show everyone higher up just what they’re missing out on.

He said: “It’s a chance show people what we’re about because it’s been a while since we’ve been on television.

“There will be a lot of people watching so it gives the club and players a chance to show the league and the world what we’re about and being on BT Sport helps us do that.

“But it’ll be a normal game like any other. We still have a job to do, we still have to work hard, and the cameras won’t change anything.

“The sky’s the limit but we’ve got to take it game by game and do as well as we can. I think we’ve got squad here that can definitely be around the top seven and push up the league and be in and around the play-offs.

“But that’s up to us as players, we think we can get promoted and that is the plan.”