Andy Bishop has returned to league football with a bang this season and has already bagged 17 goals for Bury. His strikes have helped keep the Shakers out of the relegation zone despite a run of 12 games without a win that has seen them slip perilously close to the bottom two. And after two years in the Conference with York, Bishop's form has caused supporters to sit up and take notice, which has resulted in him winning League Two's PFA Fans' Player of the Month Award for February. Givemefootball's Ian Clarkson caught up with Bishop for an exclusive chat about the award and his thoughts on the potential relegation struggle ahead.
Q:WERE YOU PLEASED TO RECEVIE THE PFA FANS PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARD?
A:I was really happy and it is a good bit of news as we are in a bit of a slump at present. We need to get a few results to get our season back on track. However, I would like to thank all the supporters who voted for me and it makes it that little bit more special that the fans recognised my efforts.
Q:ARE YOU PLEASED WITH THE WAY YOU HAVE ADAPTED TO LIFE IN THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE AFTER A SPELL IN THE CONFERENCE?
A:I am very pleased with how it has gone but I actually think I should have scored a few more with the opportunities I have had. I was always confident that I could cut it in the Football League as Walsall actually offered me a new contract when I left. I just wanted to prove myself and play regularly and I had the opportunity to do that at York. Whilst it has gone well for me I would like to think that it will go even better next season.
Q:THIS SEASON HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE SO FAR HASN'T?
A:It is always going to be difficult at Bury as we have a small budget and quite small crowds compared to some of the teams in our division. There are a hell of a lot of young players in our squad and at the age of 24 I am sometimes one of the older ones on the pitch.
Q:YOU WERE CLOSE TO THE PLAY-OFF ZONE AT THE TURN OF THE YEAR WEREN'T YOU?
A:That's right. After a bad start we really turned it round and we were thinking of the play-offs at the start of January. However, we sold Dwayne Mattis to Barnsley for £50,000 and he was probably our most influential player. The problem for Bury is that the money comes in really useful and his contract was up in the summer, so if we didn't sell him then he would have gone for nothing. We have to develop our own players like we are doing and keep giving them opportunities.
Q:WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE AMBITIONS?
A:We will just have to see what happens. At present, I am delighted to be back in the Football League and scoring goals again. Bury have given me this opportunity and want to grab it with both hands. However, we need to preserve our league status and we have a massive game against Wrexham tonight that we can’t afford to lose. That is the most important thing I am focusing on right now.
