After finishing the season in excellent form, Ali Omar is now looking to forward to establishing his place in United’s line-up next term.
After joining the ranks here at Plainmoor last summer, the central defender made the most of his recall to Gary Johnson’s starting line-up in the closing stages of 2021/22, with Omar explaining that those impressive performances stemmed from plenty of hard work that took place behind the scenes.
“I think my first season for me went really well and the reason for that being I first came in as a boy, and I feel like as the season went on I was gradually becoming a young man, and gaining a little bit of experience,” begins Ali.
“I started playing here and there, and then eventually played back-to-back games at the end of the season, which for me was very good. I feel like the way my season went was the best way for myself going forward because it’s taught me a lot. Whereas I wasn’t playing before, I really learned a lot watching the games from the sidelines and obviously seeing the experienced boys playing was really beneficial for me.
“Watching the likes of Moxey helped me a lot, as I was picking up the little things he did, and it was really helpful for myself as I hadn’t played games at this level. Working it out was important, not only how the players were on the pitch but also how they were off it, how professional they are, the gym work and how they communicate with the players. For me, that accounts to the bigger picture and it was so important I picked up from all these guys.”
With Pre-season training for the squad beginning on Thursday, Omar is ready to get back to the hard graft of training, and is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
“I love pre-season. I always say if you have a good pre season you usually end up having a good season, so it’s like everything you do in pre-season prepares you for the coming campaign. So, at the minute we are on the off-season and on the last week of our off season programmes, where the running is getting harder for us, coming into pre-season this week.
“I feel like when you hit the ground running, when you are coming into pre-season, and you play and you do well, you get fitter with each game. I feel that it’s inevitable that when it comes during the season, you’ll naturally feel fit and ready. I feel like when the boys come into pre-season it’s very important that we come into it with the mentality that we love running, we love doing all the things that people think as a footballer is like the boring stuff, and the the hard stuff, but it’s those things that make the big difference.
“To be fair when we broke up, we were told to have a couple of weeks off, so obviously I went on a nice holiday. We then got our gym programmes and running programmes two weeks after we came back, so I feel like I’ve been following the schedule and also been doing my own thing on the side that’s really helped me. I feel so much better and feel fitter within myself given the programme that we were given to follow.”
With the new campaign a little over five weeks away, Ali is in no doubt what he wants from this new season and the target he wants to reach at the end of it.
“I had a good feeling for last year but I have an even better feeling for this year. I feel like this year, fingers crossed, we can do it – whether that’s winning the league or winning the play-offs. I feel like with the group we are going to have this year and with the Gaffer bringing in some new players coming in at pre-season and gelling together, I believe this year we are going to do it either as champions or play-off winners.”
“I just want to come back in and prove myself, and hopefully get the opportunity to play by the Gaffer, showcase my talent and see where it goes. I have little targets and aims but am keeping them to myself. Other then that, I think it is important that as a team we go out there and win games, and get promoted in one of the two ways that we can.”
After becoming a favourite with the Yellow Army last season, the former QPR & Barnsley youngster was quick to give praise the fans and hopes they will soon be able to celebrate his first league goal with them.
“I really can’t wait to see the fans again and to interact with them back up at Plainmoor. I feel that this year we need to give something special back. Following on from the back end of last season I feel if we can take that into this season and have a great start, then I feel that come the end of the season we will be in a completely different place.
“The fans that we have travel to away games and get home really late, so I feel like it’s so important that we can do everything in our power to give them something back. It’s so important that the fans get the appreciation that they deserve, because without the fans, us as players wouldn’t have the confidence to go out there and perform every week, and I can’t wait to see them again, and for them to cheer us on in our first pre-season game back at home against Newport.
“I feel a goal is 100% coming. This season my goal is going to come, and I already have my celebration planned, though I’m not going to reveal it as of yet – but when I score my first goal there will be some scenes at Plainmoor and fingers crossed it happens there.”