Interview | The jewel in the crown

The description ‘a player who gets the fans on the edge of their seats’ was written for King Baidoo.

A player of undoubted talent and ability, his performances have lit up the season so far and there is sure to be plenty more to come from him.

On Saturday he put in a Man of the Match display as we returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Havant & Waterlooville before being forced out of the action on the hour-mark having picked up what he describes as a ‘slight hamstring tweak’.

“It was really important for us to get back to winning ways last weekend,” he said. “The lads showed great character to get the job done; we stuck to the game plan, moved the ball around well and created some good chances over the course of the game.

“As for my own performance; I thought I did okay, I set myself very high standards and I just want to be able to help the team and make an impact wherever I can.

“I picked up a slight hamstring tweak early in the second half, which forced me off after about an hour of the game. It’s a bit sore, but with treatment and rest, I’ll be fine.”

Attention turns back to the Isuzu FA Trophy on Saturday as we make our way to Slough Town in the second round.

We face opponents who find themselves at the wrong end of The National League South table and Baidoo is relishing the challenge that stands before us.

“These are the type of games you look forward to testing yourself in as we come up against opposition from a higher level,” he added. “It’s a great opportunity to see where we’re at as a group and to keep the momentum from the weekend.

“We’ll go into it full of confidence and belief that we can get a result and keep our run in this competition going.

“I think we’ve shown flashes of what we’re capable of so far this season, but we know there’s still more to come.

“Personally, I think I’m doing okay but like everyone, I want to keep improving. As a team, we’ve built a good foundation and it’s now about pushing on, finding that bit more consistency, and turning good performances into regular results.

“The standard of the Premier South is really strong this year. Every team seems capable of taking points off each other, and the level of competition has gone up again from what it was previously.

“You can’t switch off for a second in this league. That makes it challenging but also enjoyable, you’ve got to earn every result.

“The backing of the fans is also massively important in this too. The City supporters have been brilliant both home and away, they’ve stuck with us and created a proper atmosphere.

“It really gives the lads a lift, especially in tight games, and we want to repay that backing with performances and results that make them proud.”