JOE GARNER is looking forward to an eventful start to the season.
As a Nottingham Forest player, the 22-year-old on-loan Town striker expects a hot reception from the Notts County fans in tomorrow’s eagerly-anticipated npower League I opener.
He’s also an old boy of Carlisle United, where Town are in Carling Cup first-round action on Tuesday, so he’s aiming to go back and do well.
The Blackburn-born player – he was on the Ewood Park club’s academy books with Galpharm colleague Anthony Pilkington – has just one priority during his six-month Town loan, however: To play as many games and score as many goals as he can.
“My hope is to help the team in any way I can, so playing games and scoring goals is what it’s all about,” said Garner, who joined Carlisle from Blackburn for £140,000 in August 2007 after a loan stint the season before.
“I played out wide a fair bit with Forest last season but my preferred position is straight down the middle.
“If I do that I’m confident I will be among the goals and I’m one of those players who always look for 20-plus a season.
“If I can get half that or maybe 15 in the time I’m here, then that should be good for everyone and, hopefully, will help us get up the top end of the table.
“I am certainly confident I can do well at League I level and, with the quality we’ve got in the squad already, I’m hopeful we will create a lot of chances and I can cash in.”
On the opening couple of games, Garner, who cost the City Ground club £1.14m in July 2008, added: “Being a Forest player I will probably get a bit of stick from the Notts County supporters, but that’s all good.
“It will be an interesting test, that’s for sure, because they have just come up and will be looking to build while we did well last season and want to keep that momentum right from the start.
“It will be a carnival atmosphere, but if we can go there and pick up three points it will be the ideal start for us – and a very good result.
“In the Carling Cup, Brunton Park on a Tuesday evening is a very hard place to go – a lot of teams will find that out this season – so we have to be ready for it.
“I’ve got very happy memories of Carlisle though, having done well in my time there, and it will be good to go back so early in my loan with Town.
“Pre-season has been okay, but I haven’t played that many games so the last couple, against Barnsley and Scunthorpe, have been vital to just give me that bit of extra match sharpness.
“Once we get into the season proper that will come anyway and I’m just looking forward to it.”
While Garner is one of nine additions to the Town squad – the others being keeper Ian Bennett, Scott Arfield, Graham Carey, Lee Croft, Joey Gudjonsson, Damien Johnson, Jamie McCombe and Gary Naysmith – Notts County chief Craig Short has brought in 10 new faces since his arrival in June.
Among them is former Town defender Krystian Pearce, who signed up with last season’s League II champions after failing to agree a new contract at the Galpharm.
The ex-Birmingham man will battle with fellow new arrival Liam Chilvers (from Preston) and Graeme Lee for a centre-back berth.
Also new at the club are goalkeepers Rob Burch (ex-Lincoln), Stuart Nelson (Aberdeen) and David Grof (free agent), midfielders Jon Harley (Watford) and Jon Spicer (Doncaster) and strikers Ben Burgess (Blackpool), Kevin Smith (Dundee United) and Jake Jervis (Birmingham).
Burgess, 28, is expected to partner experienced Lee Hughes, last season’s 33-goal top scorer, against Town.
