Anthony Scully has described his goalscoring Exeter City debut as a dream, before opening up about the PFA role in his move to Devon.
We have already covered Scully joining the Grecians and scoring the winner in their 1-0 victory against Rotherham United, but his comments afterwards deserve a closer look. Speaking to the press, as reported by Devon Live, he explained how much that moment meant after a difficult few years, and the role the Professional Footballers’ Association played in helping him find his next opportunity.
There was little hesitation when Exeter came calling, with Scully explaining:
“When my agent said to me about Exeter, straight away I was like, ‘Yeah, get me down there.'” His first afternoon could hardly have gone better.
“It’s a dream. Three points, obviously to score on my debut as well, and I loved every single minute of it.”
Regular readers will know that Sculls is a player I have a particular soft spot for. I wrote about him in my Favourite Imps series, explaining how his West Ham background immediately had me convinced we had signed a good one, before his performances gave me rather more substantial reasons to like him.
However, it was interviewing him for the club programme that really cemented it. That personal connection is part of why I have continued to follow his career with interest. We saw a player who could produce something spectacular, someone whose best position I could never quite settle on but whose place on the pitch rarely needed much debate.
Since leaving us, getting onto that pitch consistently has been a challenge. His comments after the Exeter game suggest he finally feels ready to put that difficult period behind him.
“I think it’s well documented that I’ve had a difficult few years, injuries and stuff, since Lincoln, but physically, right now, I feel in the best place I have probably in four years, especially with the group that we’ve got.
“I will get lots of chances here with these boys and, as long as we keep winning games, it’s going to be an enjoyable season for us all.”
For those of us who remember what he could do at Sincil Bank, that is encouraging to hear. The ability to find a finish, to make something happen around the penalty area, was such a big part of his game here, but he has needed the fitness and opportunity to show it again.
There was a clear sense of relief in his reaction to the goal. Describing the run of setbacks that preceded it, Anthony said the moment was “the top for me”, a reward for the work required just to get himself into that position.
Some of that work came during the summer with the PFA, where he trained and played alongside other footballers looking for clubs. His explanation of what they provided is worth highlighting, particularly because the support went well beyond somewhere to keep fit.
“The PFA put on an amazing set-up for us. They put games on for us, training sessions, recovery facilities and staff at our disposal. It’s absolutely brilliant.
“All the lads there are in a similar position, so when you’re communicating with each other, you understand people’s backgrounds a bit more. It’s a difficult time, so having each other to speak with is really helpful.”
We tend to see the announcement when a player signs, perhaps a photograph holding the shirt, and then judge what follows on a Saturday. There is much less attention paid to the weeks beforehand, when a footballer is trying to stay ready while waiting for the right opportunity.
For someone with his recent injury record, there was another important element: being able to demonstrate to potential employers that he was ready to play.
“I think the PFA puts you in a shop window where people can see he’s fit, he’s trained and he’s playing games. It was especially important for me, because it’s well documented that I’ve had a tough few years with injuries and stuff.
“It was important that it was out there that, yeah, he’s still fit, he’s still playing and he’s in a good position. There’s definitely no chance I would have been here without that.”
That is a significant endorsement of the help he received. By his own assessment, the opportunity to prove his fitness through the PFA was essential to getting him to Exeter, where he has already given supporters a glimpse of the player we enjoyed watching.
When he left Lincoln, I felt it was the right move for both him and the club, even though I was disappointed to see him go. He had given us goals, memorable afternoons and a return on our investment, and I wanted him to carry that success into the next stage of his career.
It has clearly been a harder road than he would have hoped. One goal cannot settle everything, but hearing him speak so positively about his fitness, and so warmly about the people who helped him through the summer, gives us plenty of reason to wish him well.
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