Stallard backing Forrester to come good

Last updated : 02 March 2009 By Richard Brown

He'll come good: Stallard has backed Forrester to replicate his Lincoln City form.
Magpies legend Mark Stallard is backing his former strike partner Jamie Forrester to rediscover his goalscoring touch at Meadow Lane.


Forrester, 34, has managed just eight goals in 23 starts for the Magpies since signing from Lincoln City in the summer.


And after recovering from a recent toe injury, the striker has failed to find the net in almost a month following a superb hat-trick against Port Vale over a month ago.


Speaking exclusively to the weekly Notts County Mad podcast, Pie Eyed, Notts legend Mark Stallard has backed his former Lincoln City strike partner to turn his first season with the club around over the coming months.


"I understand things aren't going great for Jamie at the moment," said Stallard. "But he's a lot better player than what he's shown Notts County fans so far.


"When we played together at Lincoln we were the old couple, both in our early thirties, and yet we still managed to knock in over 30 goals between us in a season.


"Once you get past your 30th birthday people are too quick to knock you and say your legs have gone, but Jamie's a great player - very clever, and very intelligent.


"The way football has gone though, every manager today wants a 6ft 4in athlete who can do the 100 metres in 10 seconds, but Jamie and myself have still managed to carve out decent careers for ourselves."


A feature-length interview with Stallard, who made over 200 appearances for the Magpies, is available to download on iTunes by clicking here...


The striker discusses his time at Meadow Lane in length, as well as touching upon spells with League Two rivals, Bradford and Lincoln City, as well as his recent move to local rivals Mansfield Town.


Alternatively, listeners without iTunes can access the interview by clicking here...