Cotterill has point to prove as he seeks Wales recall

MENTION his time at Barnsley to Doncaster Rovers winger David Cotterill and there is a fair chance you will receive a dark look and a grimace.
Doncaster's David CotterillDoncaster's David Cotterill
Doncaster's David Cotterill

Including current side Rovers, the Welshman has featured for three South Yorkshire clubs and it is correct to assume his time at Oakwell at the tail end of the 2011-12 campaign was the least enjoyable.

Cotterill, who returns to Barnsley with Rovers for a key derby encounter on Saturday, joined up with the Reds after being released by Swansea in early 2012.

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In need of a kick-start after a frustrating spell in his native Wales, Cotterill, who did not feature once for the Swans under Brendan Rodgers in the first half of 2011-12, readily admits he had a difficult time at Oakwell.

The 25-year-old played 11 times for Keith Hill’s side and was on the winning side just once as the Reds plunged into freefall and had a near-miss with relegation.

On his rough time at Oakwell, Cotterill, who had a spell at Sheffield United earlier in his career, told the Yorkshire Post: “I still had 18 months left on my Swansea deal (before being released) and went there to try and get a few games.

“But it didn’t really work out and I didn’t enjoy it from day one really.

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“It was a bit strange and I didn’t really like the surrounds or anything. It just didn’t happen.

“Coming here (to Doncaster), I felt comfortable straightaway.

“The management staff at Barnsley were okay, but probably not really to my tastes.

“I actually liked Keith Hill and had nothing against him as a guy. But he didn’t like me and didn’t see me as what he was looking for and maybe they weren’t what I was looking for.

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“It was just one of those things. It wasn’t the right place for me at that time.”

After being dropped to the bench twice in the past six weeks following the defeats to Watford and Burnley, Cotterill was handed a recall in Saturday’s 3-1 Championship home reverse to Brighton.

Following heavy back-to-back defeats at Middlesbrough and Reading, performance-wise, Rovers at least produced a display more in keeping with the workaholic performances that have largely characterised their season so far under Paul Dickov.

But the fact remains that Rovers have lost their last three outings, with one or two alarm bells starting to reverberate among fans, mindful of their side’s current position just above the drop zone.

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Cotterill feels a certain amount of perspective is required, given that Rovers have to punch above their weight most weeks against rivals with infinitely more resources and bigger squads.

Yet he is mindful that Rovers’ recent statistics, especially their goals against tally –11 in their last three matches – needs remedying.

Cotterill, who joined Rovers in the summer of 2012, said: “Conceding the goals hasn’t been ideal. But when you get promoted, you are always going to have to take some comfortable wins against you from some opposition. That’s always going to happen in this division and it’s about bouncing back with the right result.”

On his recent spell on the sidelines, the Cardiff-born winger, who admits he could have fewcomplaints with Dickov’s decision to leave him out of the side after some below-par form, added: “Against Huddersfield, I thought me and the team played well. But against Watford, it was a difficult game where we didn’t really have the ball.

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“In the home game against Burnley, I wasn’t at my best and we have quality players here. If you are not on your best, you are going to be taken out for a couple of games.

“It’s all about keeping your head down and working hard.

Ironically, his demotion from the Rovers’ starting line-up for the Leicester game on October 5 coincided with a return to the international fold with Wales, with Chris Coleman drafting him into his squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Macedonia and Belgium.

Cotterill, who last played for his national team in May 2011, was an unused sub in the 1-0 victory over the Macedonians on October 11 and in the 1-1 draw with the Belgians in Brussels four days later.

While his return to action for the Principality is something that still needs to be ticked off, the fact he found a path back into the squad is a source of encouragement to Cotterill.

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Along with several other Welshmen, Cotterill is conscious an avenue has been opened by the international retirement of Craig Bellamy and he is hoping to stake his claims in the coming weeks and months ahead.

Cotterill, hoping to be named in tomorrow’s Welsh squad for the friendly with Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium on November 16, said: “The call-up came at a strange point. I was out of the starting line-up for that weekend and then I got called up, which was strange.

“But it was nice, I was always trying to get back in the Welsh squad. I was looking to do that last year, but it was obviously difficult being in League One. Hopefully now, I can keep in the squad a lot more.

“Obviously, (Craig) Bellamy has retired and that frees up a place in the starting line-up. There’s tough competition, but hopefully I can do well here and the calls will keep coming.”