Centre Dean Squire says he’s pleased to be returning to Plymouth Albion for a fourth season, where he still feels there’s plenty of room for development.
“We went through a bit of a tough patch at the start of the year but we managed to get ourselves out of a sticky situation to finish in the top five,” he says. “We took a hard look at ourselves and it was great to see that we had enough in us to turn it around and things started to click. When we did lose games, we weren’t really a million miles away from winning.”
With new signings for the coming season at Plymouth Albion and a new head coach in Ben Gulliver, Dean says the team will start in September with a clean slate.
“This will be a bit of a fresh start with the new coach and some new boys in so we can really push on this year. I know some of the new guys – everyone knows everyone in rugby – and Albion is very welcoming so I’m sure they will fit in quickly.
“I know, like the others, I’ll have to prove myself to the new coach and we will need to push on from where we left off last season. As a team we haven’t come up with a target yet, but as a player I want to be a lot more of a threat around the field – there are always things you can develop, things you can pick up as you go.”
Dean has had no serious injuries to worry about and he’s managed to managed to put on some weight and increase his size. He says he is getting “fitter and stronger” all the time.
Off the pitch he teaches PE at a Plymouth Primary School, a job he started last year. It’s a chance to pass on his enthusiasm for the game to youngsters. “I try and get the focus on rugby at school, but at the end of the day the children choose what they want to do.”
There’s just one downside to Dean returning for another season… the 23-year-old won Young Player of the Year last season and he’s been warned he won’t be eligible again!
