JERVIS SO KEEN TO REPAY ARDLEY’S FAITH...
JAKE Jervis has never been one to shy away from a challenge.
In a career spanning 15 clubs across three different countries – including a stint at Turkish side Elazigspor – the 27-year-old forward has seen plenty of sights.
With a spell north of the border at Ross County also under his belt, it’s clear that Jervis doesn’t get homesick; there are other, more important factors in his decision-making process when joining a new club.
“I had a few options but I decided to come here because of the manager (Neal Ardley),” he said.
“I’ve played against Wimbledon quite a few times and I know players who have worked with him.
“I’d spoken with him and I knew how much he liked me as a player. That faith in my ability was why I wanted to come here.
“I feel I’m playing well and it’s just the goals that are missing. As a team, that’s the difficult thing at the moment.
“Yes, we are moving the ball around nicely and doing well, but we’re having lapses in concentration and finding ourselves 1–0 down. It’s tough at the moment.”
But not as tough as in Turkey. He scored in his first game – against Fenerbahçe no less – the perfect way to ingratiate himself to what he admitted was a crazy support-base.
“It was a hostile atmosphere,” he said. “Unfortunately, in a friendly, I broke my foot and I didn’t come back until the last three games. That was when the saga began.
“I wasn’t paid over the summer or coming into pre-season either. In all, I wasn’t paid for four months and it was only a few months ago that I got what I was owed!”