Zander happy to talk a good game

ATHLETIC new boy Zander Diamond has told his team-mates “it’s good to talk” ahead of Saturday’s npower League One opener.

The no-nonsense centre-half, snapped up on a free transfer from Aberdeen by boss Paul Dickov, firmly believes good communication is the key to success.

And despite being just weeks into his Athletic career, he is not afraid to speak his mind on and off the pitch.

“I am definitely a talker, I think you have to be in football — especially if you are a defender,” he said.

“You have to concentrate from the first whistle to the last and if the players are frequently talking to each other, it helps.”

For fans wondering what playing style Diamond will bring to the table in his first spell in England — he spent all nine professional years at Aberdeen — the 26-year-old is quite emphatic in his description.

He added: “I don’t mess about with the ball and cause unnecessary danger in and around the penalty area.

“If the ball needs to go in Row Z, I will happily boot it up there, because sometimes that is what the situation requires.

“It does not mean I am a messy player but I do not see the point in taking risks and giving the opposition goal-scoring opportunities.

“I know there was a period last season where Athletic conceded a lot of goals from set-pieces which must have driven Gerry Taggart round the bend, because in his role as coach he works so hard in training trying to eradicate those kind of mistakes.

“I would like to think I can help us improve in that area by getting on the end of everything that is thrown my way.”

Diamond, who is likely to line up alongside fellow summer arrival Jean-Yves Mvoto at the heart of the defence, believes Athletic can push themselves towards the right end of the table this term.

“People have filled me in on what happened last season, and that at the turn of the year we were on course for the play-offs but then it fell away.

“It can happen when you have a lot of young players or if you are short on numbers.

“Hopefully, this time we have a bit more experience and can maintain the challenge.

“Personally, I can’t wait to play in front of our own fans against Sheffield United, and I hope to establish myself in the side.”