ACCRINGTON new boys Steve Jagielka and Stuart Howson have both set their sights on making a big impact in the Stanley first team this season.
Former Blackburn player Howson was released from Chesterfield in May and played in a reserve game for the Reds at the end of last season. The 22-year-old left sided defender didn't take long to think about coming to the Interlink once he was offered a deal.
"I knew Steve Flitcroft from my days at Blackburn - I spent five or six years with him - and he told me how good things were here," said the player who lives in Chorley. "There isn't a lot of difference between the Second or Third Divisions or the Conference. Accrington are an ambitious club and I am glad to have the opportunity to come here."
Howson, along with another new signing, left winger Paul Carvill and Jagielka have been put through their paces with aerobics, swimming and a lot of running in pre-season training at Wilson's Playing fields and Hyndburn Sports Centre. It has been a tough week for the squad since Accrington Stanley made history and became a full-time club for the first time in 42 years.
"It is hard but you just have to get on with it," said Howson, who said he had watched Stanley in their FA Cup run last season. "It is the same at every club."
He was disappointed things didn't work out at Chesterfield as he was doing well until he broke his ankle in March last year and then a new boss came in.
"I just fell out of favour. I made a fairly quick recovery from my break but it didn't really work out under new boss, Roy McFarland. So I was glad to get a chance here and now I just want to play first team football and hopefully, help Accrington get promoted."
And Steve Jagielka, who played at Stanley with Shrewbury last year before moving onto Sheffield United, has the same thoughts. "The aim at the start of every season is to win the championship," he said.
The midfielder was with Shrewsbury for the first eight games of last season.
"I had played all the pre-season games and thought I was doing okay. Then the manager suddenly didn't want me any more. I went to Sheffield United and might have had a chance but they were always on the fringes of the play-offs so the manager stuck with the same squad. So I was happy to come here. The Conference is getting better and better. More teams are full time and it should be a good season.
"They are a good set of lads here and there looks to be a lot of good players. We found that out at Shrewsbury when we played against them last year. I have been impressed with everything I have seen here so far. Obviously Cookey (Paul Cook) has plenty of experience and it is tough at the moment but we have got to get fit.
"Everyone seems to have the right attitude. Hopefully we can be strong at home and the aim is always to win the league."
