Bobby boxes clever – and picks up award

LEAGUE ONE: Lichties striker Linn lands player of the month prize – and credits gym sessions

Bobby Linn is packing a punch for Arbroath this season because of an intense boxing training camp in the summer.

The veteran forward slammed five goals in September to help shoot Dick Campbell’s side top of the Ladbrokes League One table.

Linn is used to bobbing and weaving on the pitch and skipping past opponents. And hard work in the ring is paying off in the box where he is making opponents pay.

Linn, who has won the Ladbrokes League One Player of the Month award, said: “I did something different in the summer by taking up boxing.

“I did an eight-week training camp before pre-season and it’s the best thing I have ever done.

“I feel so much fitter, I feel fresh and it’s given me a new lease of life. I’m going to be 33 next week but I don’t feel my age.

“I’m really enjoying my football again and when you’re playing with confidence you tend to be in the right place at the right time and everything you hit seems to go in.

“My friend Kenny Rattray is a coach at Navarro’s gym in Dundee so I went there to work with him.

“We were running up the hills at six in the morning every day for eight weeks and then we would go back to the gym and do circuit training and some boxing. It has really benefited me.

“I’m trying to get the other boys to do it next year but they’re too worried about their good looks! I not that worried because I don’t think I fall into that category. I was in the ring slugging it out and it was great.

“I’m still doing it. I train with the boys on a Monday and Wednesday and I go to the boxing gym on Tuesday and Thursday, although I don’t go in the ring, it’s mostly circuit training.”

Linn, who KO’d rivals Forfar with a hat-trick during the month, now wants to take down Raith Rovers tomorrow.

He added: “I have not been on this kind of scoring run for a while so it’s been nice.

“We’ve started the season really well and we’re on top on merit.

“It’s a massive game on Saturday. We’re four points ahead of them but Raith seem to have picked up under the new manager. They’ll be favourites but we’re confident and we’ll go there and have a go.

“It would be incredible if we could get into the Championship. I’ve experienced the other side in being relegated.

“But since Dick Campbell has come in we have won League Two and got to the semi-finals of the play-offs.

“We know there is a lot of hard work to be done but we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”

I feel so much fitter, I feel fresh and it’s given me a new lease of life. I’m going to be 33 next week but I don’t feel my age. BOBBY LINN

Picture: SNS. Arbroath’s Bobby Linn has won the Ladbrokes League One Player of the Month award.