JUST LIKE MO WE’RE READY!
JORDAN Hulme reckons he and his Altrincham teammates are in such good shape they could give Mo Farah a run for his money!
Alty have been churning out the miles during lockdown in preparation for their eliminator clash with Chester this afternoon.
Manager Phil Parkinson has made sure his side have returned in the best possible condition – and striker Hulme is feeling as good as ever.
“The gaffer has got us on a strict regime of training four times a week,” he told The NLP. “We’ve been giving him stick saying we always wanted to play full-time football! But you’ve got to put this work in to stand a chance of winning these. I actually feel fit for once!
“During lockdown we did loads of running challenges, it was at least 15km or 20km a week. It’s meant everyone has come back fit and we’ve just been training with the balls.”
Altrincham’s new training programme has given them plenty of time to get back up to speed on the pitch having lost just twice in 17 league matches before the break.
“In terms of running we could match Mo Farah at the minute!” Hulme said of the four-time Olympic gold medallist. “That’s not the issue for us.
“The gaffer was saying when we first came back, we’ll give you a week to get sharp because I think me and Josh Hancock were looking a bit sluggish to be fair. Then he gave us another week, but the other day we were smashing them in and playing well. The gaffer said he knew we’d come good in the end.”
Hulme has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season and will want to make an impression more than ever today.
The 29-year-old played for Chester joint-bosses Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley at Ramsbottom United and Salford City and is still good friends with them both – all the more reason to get one over them.
“People say there’s no friends in football but I think that’s a lie,” said Hulme. “There’s five or six in their team who are very good friends but there won’t be any friends on Sunday, you can’t do that.
“Jonno (Anthony Johnson), rang me the other day and I didn’t answer his call. I just thought I’m better off leaving it.
“Recently a bit of a rivalry has built up between Alty and Chester for numerous reasons. It’s so much better playing with fans but we know they’ll all be watching on the stream. “I’m used to playing in front of a man and a dog in the Manchester leagues so it might benefit me!” Hulme has rediscovered his love for the game since signing for Altrincham in 2017, scoring 31 goals in their promotion from the Northern Premier League and then reaching the play-offs last season. “When I first joined, my head was all over the place,” he added.
“I went training with them in pre-season and the gaffer got the chairman to bring a contract after one session. I said I’m not signing it. He was stunned.
“It took me a few months to understand how good the club was in the community and how big it was. Honestly, it’s the best club I’ve ever been at. If I can repay them by helping win these play-offs then I’ll be over the moon.”