From Bradford City Outcast to Swindon Town Sensation: The Intriguing Jake Young Interview

Considering the fact that Jake Young is just one goal away from surpassing his previous best record in just six games of the season, it is evident that he is thoroughly relishing his time as a member of the Swindon team. Furthermore, it should be noted that he has already impressively contributed three assists, in case you were unaware of his remarkably fruitful beginning.

However, when he scored his first goal within two minutes of his league debut against Crewe on August 12th, the dominating feeling he experienced was relief. Young had recently joined the Robins after being excluded from Bradford. He had signed a three-year contract with Valley Parade last summer but had only started in three league games before being loaned to Barrow for the second half of the season.

In different circumstances, he could have been lining up for the Bantams for their game against Grimsby on Saturday lunchtime, which is live on We Football at 12.30pm.

Bradford City

Grimsby Town

Saturday 9th September 12:00pm

Kick off 12:30pm

"It was a great relief and a slight reassurance to see that I still possess the skills and abilities to be a good player," the 22-year-old expressed to We. "The subsequent events have demonstrated how that small boost of confidence has unleashed the player I always believed I could be, and I have eagerly awaited the opportunity to prove it.

"The sensation of scoring four goals against Crawley was absolutely surreal. I have achieved a few brace performances throughout my career, including one against Wrexham just the week before."

"I felt truly devastated by the outcome and the missed opportunity to secure three points. However, there was a part of me that was also disappointed about not achieving a hat-trick. That night, I found it difficult to sleep, constantly wondering when another opportunity like that would come my way. And sure enough, just seven days later, it happened!

"When I scored my second goal against Crawley, all I could think about was completing the hat-trick. While I understood the importance of maintaining a clean sheet and avoiding the same mistakes as last week, deep down I knew that this was probably the best chance I would have to achieve a hat-trick."

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"The moment the third goal went in, followed by the fourth as the perfect finishing touch, an incredible sensation washed over me. It seemed that every touch I had during that game resulted in a goal. As a striker, there is no greater satisfaction."

"It feels satisfying, but now is not the moment to become self-satisfied; I've had a successful month, but there are nine more months in this season, so nine more months like that would be acceptable!"

Despite this, he recognizes that facing challenges will be a recurring theme throughout his career.

"It was quite disheartening," he confesses. "Ultimately, when I left Forest Green a year ago, that's exactly where I aimed to be. Being from the area, it's a prominent team that I aspired to represent since I was a young boy. Agreeing to a three-year contract with them and then experiencing the kind of season I had was truly disappointing.

"For various reasons, it didn't quite align. It happens. Every successful individual has experienced setbacks in their career, so it's crucial to extract as much value from this experience, no matter how disheartening it may be.

"I'm confident that there will be instances where I might fall out of favor again. It applies to this situation as well; while it's a promising beginning, I acknowledge that I'm not flawless and there's still a great deal for me to learn. As a young individual, I absorb and apply lessons from every club I am a part of. I am genuinely delighted to be here, leaving the previous season behind."

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Young formed an integral part of the victorious Forest Green team in the 2021/22 League Two season. Interestingly, he has discovered the support and belief required for his flourishing under the guidance of Swindon manager Michael Flynn, who coincidentally used to play for Bradford between 2009 and 2012.

The Welshman has partnered with Charlie Austin in Young's forward line for the Robins' last four League Two matches, resulting in an impressive six goals and three assists. However, despite their strong performances, the team has only collected five points. In their previous matches, they had a thrilling 5-5 draw against Wrexham, a dominant 6-0 victory over Crawley, and a goalless draw against Doncaster in their most recent game.

Young praises his partnership with Austin, stating that he has made him feel like a skilled player since day one, even before stepping onto the field. He attributes his sense of belonging in the team to Austin's support and hopes to repay him by continuing to perform well.

Is his move to Wiltshire solely aimed at proving a point?

"I am here to prove a point, without a doubt," Young asserts. "I possess the confidence and belief that I am capable of playing for any team in this league. Although my time at Bradford did not pan out as expected, there is still a point to be made.

"However, when I step onto the pitch, proving others wrong is not my primary focus. My primary objective is to contribute to Swindon, as my ultimate goal is to assist the team rather than concentrate on proving doubters wrong."

"With awards and goals and assists, that's going to be mentioned and it's a nice feeling, but it's not necessarily to prove people wrong, it's to prove myself right that I know I am a good player.