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Confident: New signing Nick Skelton

COUNTY new-boy Nick Skelton has admitted that anything less than promotion this season will be seen as a failure.

The central defender, signed by manager Dean Holdsworth from his old club Redbridge last month, has been very impressed with life at Spytty Park so far and claims the club should be playing at a higher level than the Blue Square South.

"The set-up here is just unbelievable and the club should be a lot higher up so hopefully myself and the other new signings can help it move forward," said the 21-year-old who is likely to continue his partnership with Ian Hillier in today's friendly at Leamington (kick-off 3pm).

"Dean has told us all that promotion is the aim this year and I think anything less will be a failure," he added.

"I'm really excited about the season ahead - everyone is buzzing about the first game against AFC Wimbledon and the friendly against Leeds should be something special too.

"There's definitely a positive mood amongst the squad."

A second-hand car salesman during the week, Skelton has been impressed with Holdsworth's wheeling and dealing in the transfer market this summer.

"There have been a lot of new players coming in and I think everyone is pleased at the quality of the gaffer's 00signings," he said.

Having played 70 minutes alongside captain Hillier at Cinderford last week, Skelton is happy with the way things have gone so far but admits he can't take his place in the side for granted.

"Training has been going well and the game last week was a good experience. "Ian is a very good player and I enjoyed playing alongside him but I know my place in the side depends on how I perform and I'm confident once I get fully fit that I can push for a starting place."

Skelton continues to live in the London area during the week and travels up for training with his fellow arrivals from Redbridge -right-back Kevin Stephens and left-back David Collins.

It's an arrangement which has made the settling-in process a little easier but there has been one unforeseen downside, as Skelton explains.

"It's been good to have the company because it is a very long journey but the worst thing about it, apart from the traffic on the M25, is having to listen to Kevin Stephens' awful music," he said.

"Kev thinks he's some kind of rudeboy MC and David and I have to suffer his playlists on the iPod. That will definitely have to change!"

6:50am Saturday 19th July 2008

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