After defeating Luton and Harrogate in his first two weeks on the job, the 47-year-old was frustrated by Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Oxford United. Woodman is in his third season with the PNE, and this summer, he was eager to start after a dismal end to his last year.
The season got off to a tumultuous start with Ryan Lowe’s resignation after just one game. However, Woodman now feels that Heckingbottom and his assistant, Stuart McCall, are a refreshing management team. Regarding the victory against the Hatters in the manager’s debut game, he felt great afterward.
“Yeah, it has been exciting,” said Woodman, last Thursday. “For me, I am always looking to improve and learn. When you get two new people come through the door, with different ideas, I ultimately saw it as an opportunity to improve myself as a player and person. So yeah, I am excited about it and I’m sure a lot of the lads are – as well as the fans.
“I genuinely think that things will only get better—that was after a few days of working with the management. Even though he only had a few training sessions to share his thoughts, I left the pitch feeling quite inspired. If this is the norm, I feel we can only get better. They’ve come in and it’s been a good change. The experience they’ve got is valuable and the manager has a promotion on his CV.
Woodman signed a three-year contract in the summer of 2022, making him one of several older players who is in the last year of his current agreement. Though he is certainly thinking about it, the 27-year-old promises it won’t take up too much of his time.
“I guess, as a player, if you go into your last year it is always on your mind,” said Woodman. “I think Saturday marks my 100th game for PNE, which is a big achievement and a goal I set when I first signed for the club. I feel like it’s a big achievement to play that many games, for such a big club.
“I wrote it on a bit of paper and stuck it on the wall, so getting there will be a really nice feeling. So, yeah, in answer to your question I think any player thinks about it. But, ultimately, I just want to focus on playing well and trying to get to 125/130 for this season. That would be nice.”
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