DOIDGE HOOPING FOR LIFT-OFF
CHRISTIAN DOIDGE had a break from football as a kid to play basketball for Wales – now he’s hoping to be a slam dunk success for Forest Green Rovers.
The 23-year-old is one of new boss Mark Cooper’s first signings, inset, as the former Swindon Town manager begins to put together a squad capable of landing the National League title.
Doidge, who is joined at The New Lawn by Nantwich Town defender Jon Moran, was Dagenham & Redbridge’s top scorer last season as they were relegated from League Two.
Now, he’s hoping to be at the other end of the table and hit the heights again – just like when he played basketball for his country’s U18s. “I got released by Bristol Rovers when I was 15 and I needed to do something different,” said Doidge. “There was a basketball academy in my school. A couple of my friends played, so I picked that up and progressed really quickly. I played for my country, went to the European Championships in Malta and played tournaments in Scotland and England.
“I completely stopped playing football but, when I got to 18, I got back the bug for playing football again. I’m very happy I did.
“But, because of the basketball training, I can jump high and it has helped my game a lot.”
Applied
Doidge’s route into professional football saw him start out playing part-time in Wales for Cwmbran Celtic, Barry Town and Carmarthen Town, before joining the Daggers.
By day, he was a Police Community Support Officer.
“I’ve had an interesting life!” Doidge said. “I was at Barry Town when I applied but it takes a year to get in. So, by the time I started, I was at Carmarthen.
“I wasn’t sure if I would make it as a professional in football or basketball, so I thought I should get a career under my belt while I was playing part-time. I really enjoyed it. You never know what you’re going to be doing each day, so that was exciting.”
Doidge is now looking forward to linking up with new boss Cooper – who has appointed Scott Lindsey as his assistant – as the club aim to go one better than last season’s promotion final defeat to Grimsby.
“They’ve got massive ambition and that’s one of the reasons I joined,” Doidge added. “They want to win things, so it’s really exciting. He told me it’s a team that create chances, so I can’t wait.”
Meanwhile, Rovers have released goalkeeper Steve Arnold, 26.