Captain Rory McArdle is in line to make his 500th career start on Saturday as the Iron head to the Memorial Stadium to face Bristol Rovers.
All attentions turn back to the league this weekend following the FA Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy, and the match could see McArdle mark a milestone in his football career.
The 31-year-old spoke to iFollow Iron in the lead-up to fixture and when talking about the prospect of reaching 500 starts he said: “I was quite surprised when I found out about it!
“It seems to have gone really quick, but it’s definitely something I can be proud of because it’s not something that every football player achieves. I hope that I can keep going and see how many I can get to come the end of my career.”
Scunthorpe have had some highs and lows during the past week, progressing through to the next round of the FA Cup, followed by the disappointment of getting knocked out of the Checkatrade Trophy at the hands of Mansfield on Tuesday night.
Reflecting back on the past two games, the defender went on to say: “The FA Cup was a good result for us and it’s always nice to be in the hat for the next round. It was also a nice feeling to get that victory following the run that we have been on of late and it gives everyone that bit of a lift we need.
“The draw has been made and depending on how the replay goes between Shrewsbury and Salford, we know that it is going to be a tough game no matter who we play, but it’s definitely one that we can look forward to.
“However, equally, it was disappointing on Tuesday to go out of the Checkatrade Trophy against Mansfield by not quite getting that result we needed to go through, having got the scoreline back to 2-2 before they went up the other end and scored again.”
He continued: “We have to make sure that we switch back to league mode now after the two cup games.
“A cup run is important for any team, but we have to concentrate on the league for now because that’s still up for grabs and it’s the bread and butter of what we want to achieve. When we get out on the pitch come Saturday, everyone will be focused and tuned in, to do everything we can to try and get the win.”
The Iron faced Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium last season with the match ending in a 1-1 draw, but this time around Scunthorpe will be hoping they can secure the victory and come away with all three points.
When previewing the fixture, McArdle said: “It’ll be a difficult game. I remember the match from last year, it was a tough, physical encounter as the pitch seemed quite big.
“They always have a good fan base too, especially when they have a strong foothold in the game, so it’s important that we try and nullify that to take the sting out of them. If we do that, then we can put our stamp on things and play how we want to play in order to get that win.”
Speaking about his final thoughts ahead of the weekend, the defender added: “We want to try and get back on track. It’s a long way down there, but last year we had a good away travelling, so if we can get that again, it gives us that help and come the end of the game, I hope that everyone can celebrate together.”
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