EVERY footballer craves the feeling of being wanted, and Forest Green new boy James Marwood has no worries on that front after swapping Scotland for Stroud.
Marwood has joined Rovers from Scottish Premiership side St Mirren and is set to make his debut when Vanarama Conference strugglers Nuneaton Town visit the New Lawn tomorrow (3pm).
His new manager Ady Pennock has tracked the 24-year-old forward for more than a year and tried to sign him last summer when he left Gateshead, for whom he scored 15 goals in 2013/14.
Marwood said: "Ady has shown an interest in me for 13 or 14 months, and when it came out I was going to be a free agent and leaving St Mirren he was the first person on the phone.
"He understood my reasons for going to play in the Scottish Premiership, which gave me a chance to play at grounds like Parkhead (Celtic), Dundee United and Aberdeen.
"We managed to strike up a deal pretty quickly and I'm really happy to be back in England and back in the Conference.
"A lot of the boys here have got experience of this league and higher levels, so hopefully I can add a bit more.
"It didn't quite work out for me in Scotland but hopefully we can put everything together at Forest Green and we can get some success for the fans and the chairman."
Marwood is the son of former Arsenal, Sheffield Wednesday and England winger Brian and first made his name on the non-League circuit playing out wide.
Also capable of playing as a central striker, he insists he will happily adapt to suit the needs of a squad in which he has quickly been integrated.
"I know a few of the boys from the England C squad and I get on really well with James Norwood and Elliott Frear," Marwood said.
"I've also played against a lot of lads before so I know they are a good bunch and I think I've settled in well.
"I know the gaffer favours a 4-4-2 so ideally I would like to play off a striker, but I'll be happy to play anywhere."
Pennock should be able to call upon the services of David Pipe and Danny Coles after illness and injury respectively but central defender Luke Oliver (calf) will not be risked and Dale Bennett is suspended.
Nuneaton have lost their last three league matches and are eight points shy of Southport in 20th place, meaning Rovers supporters could be forgiven for viewing victory as a foregone conclusion tomorrow.
But the reverse fixture at Liberty Way in September ended in a 1-0 defeat for Pennock's side, and in Liam Daish – appointed since that forgettable night – they possess a manager renowned for his refusal to accept a lost cause.
