NEW signing Ben Turner is aiming to add his Championship experience to Burton Albion’s first team squad after signing for the Brewers.
The central defender said: “I first spoke with Nigel three or four weeks ago. He asked me to come and look around the place and talk about his plans for the club.“It’s hard not to be impressed with a club that has come as far as it has in a short amount of time. I have also played with a number of players who have played for Nigel and they have told me all about how he works. I really fancied it and I’m happy to be here.”
The Gaffer is keen to add some Premier League and Championship experience to the squad and that’s what Turner brings.
The former Cardiff City player said: “I have had a year in the Premier League and I understand there’s a lot of lads coming through the leagues here and that it would be nice to get some others in who have played in the Championship before and know how it works. Hopefully my experience will help at the start of the season.”
Turner has been frustrated with ankle injuries but has put those problems behind him now and wants to get playing again.
The 28-year-old said: “I trained the last three months of last season and my ankles are in good order now. It’s the best I have been for a long time and this seems the right place to prove my ankles all over again and help the club grow with a manager and set of staff that I really like what I have heard from.
“I wanted to carry on playing Championship football. I want to rebuild and start showing people what I’m capable of after a frustrating period of injuries and to do it here seems a really good fit. I like the idea of coming here and being part of a tightly knit group.
“We are going to be up against it. We are going to be underdogs but we are also carrying a lot of momentum and there’s going to be massive support in a tight knit stadium here at the Pirelli.”
The Gaffer has gone on record in saying that he needs players with character and sees that in Turner.
He said: “I have played Championship football or higher now for 10 years and hopefully that’s because I have enough character about me to stand me in good stead.”
Turner also believes Albion may surprise a few people this season.
“The players who are here and who have climbed the leagues have done it for a reason. You don’t get promoted over a season for 46 games by fluking it. So it’s important that the lads here believe in themselves.
“There’s just a small gap between each league and the lads here are capable so it’s important they believe in that and hit the ground running. It’s as scary or not as scary as you make it. If you go in there believing in yourself you will be fine.
“I have seen the initial fixtures and it’s a nice start with a couple of derbies in the first month but there are so many good fixtures in the Championship these days as it’s a massive league. A lot of fixtures will be exciting for Burton Albion but that’s what the club’s been working towards and now it’s here.”