Sisson to prove his worth

Last updated : 19 August 2003 By Richard Brown
Michael Sisson
Sisson in action for the Stags
The battling midfielder hopes he is close to ending a three-year injury nightmare after being sent out on loan to Ilkeston Town.

The 24-year-old is set to earn himself a contract at Meadow Lane, if he can prove his fitness at the Manor Ground.

The former Mansfield Town player has not played a professional match for three years, after seriously damaging the cruciate ligament in his knee, while at Field Mill.

But he featured in Ilkeston's 6-0 defeat at the hands of Redditch and was expected to play in the Magpies' reserves, against Boston, this afternoon.

And he has now targeted a place in the Notts first team.

"I have joined Ilkeston on loan, mainly with a view to improving my fitness," he said.

"I know I am a yard or so short of pace at the moment, but hopefully it will not be that way for long.

"Billy Dearden has shown a lot of faith in me, I have been training with the club since last November.

"I want to repay that faith by earning a place in the Notts first team, hopefully in the not too distant future.

"The hope of playing again has been what has kept me going for all this time.

"Hopefully now I can do that for him, as well as myself."

Dearden knew Sisson from his time as manager at Field Mill and regards him as, potentially, being a worthy addition to his squad at Meadow Lane.

"Michael's attitude has been tremendous," said Dearden.

"If anyone deserves a bit of luck it is him.

"We have sent him out on loan to Ilkeston to see if he can get a bit of fitness back. Once he does that then he is very much in my mind for the future."

Sisson's Ilkeston career did not kick off in the best possible way at the weekend, as they slumped to a 6-0 defeat with assistant player manager Carl Heggs was sent off after only five minutes.

"It was a bit tough with only ten men," said Sisson. "But I suppose it was helpful from a fitness point of view. I certainly had to do quite a bit of running and I managed around 70 minutes, which is the most I have done in pre-season. Hopefully I will soon be playing 90 minutes again."