Scott Kerr plots a parade for City return (From York Press)

Scott Kerr plots a parade for York City return

10:51am Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Sport By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

Scott Kerr prepares for comeback

FIT-AGAIN York City midfielder Scott Kerr believes he will be back in the first-team reckoning for next month’s mouth-watering meeting with his old club Bradford.

The Minstermen travel to their former Premier League neighbours three weeks on Saturday and Kerr is confident he can force his way back into manager Gary Mills’ squad by then.

Kerr returned to full training at Wigginton Road yesterday for the first time since suffering cruciate knee ligament damage at Luton in March.

Now, providing he feels no adverse reaction in the next fortnight, the Leeds-born 30-year-old feels he can meet his October target for a playing comeback.

On the prospect of featuring at Valley Parade against the team that he made his league debut for in a top-flight 0-0 draw at Coventry, Kerr said: “It would be great to go back there and be involved in some capacity.

“It’s where I started my career and I’ve still got a lot of friends there. There will be a good atmosphere as well.

“I am sure we will take as many fans as we are allowed and it should be close to a full house. We were originally talking about me coming back for October 2 against Fleetwood and there’s also the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game with Coventry on October 9 now so hopefully I will be able to work my way back into the team as soon as possible.”

Kerr added that two rehabilitation breaks at Lilleshall’s National Sports Centre, where he was rubbing shoulders with Olympic medallists, has aided his recovery.

He said: “It was great going there. It breaks things up being away from the same old scenery.

“They also use different methods down there and, going away for four days, you are isolated and just concentrate on your three sessions a day. I feel that it benefited me a lot.

“The Olympic gymnasts Louis Smith and Beth Tweddle, who was really nice, were there the first week I went and meeting people like that is good for your spirits.

“You also come across people with similar injuries, which can help you mentally.

“The last time I was there, there was a kid from Wimbledon who had done his cruciate and he was a week behind me so it was interesting to see where he was in his rehab compared to where I was.”Added Kerr: “It gives you confidence that things are progressing well and they have done.

“Hopefully, that will carry on. I’ve been doing lots of strength and fitness work, as well as passing drills and twisting and turning.

“It’s just the contact side of things I’ve not been involved in but I feel ready for it all now. It will be just a matter of making sure I am definitely right over the next couple of weeks then hopefully playing in a couple of organised games.

“I think I will be ready to go then and can’t wait to be involved. With the lads doing well, it’s also better to come back into a side who are up there in the table rather than struggling.”

Since being crocked at Kenilworth Road, vice-captain Kerr has watched on as his team-mates clinched an FA Trophy and Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final Wembley double.

He has also witnessed a fine start to life back in the Football League from the sidelines with the Minstermen currently undefeated in their last six matches.

Kerr said: “After the first game when we lost 3-1 at home to Wycombe, everybody was ready to write us off and we didn’t play well but, since then, the resilience of the team has been brilliant. We’ve maybe not played as well as we did last season but we are so difficult to beat and the lads are working really hard.

“We always look a threat too. Everybody knows about Jason Walker ’s quality and he’s worked his socks off this season.

“Michael Coulson and Ash Chambers have also been magnificent and Matty Blair , our 20-goal man last season, has been sitting on the bench.”

Kerr has known Coulson since the latter was an apprentice cleaning his boots at Scarborough.

The pair quickly became team-mates, however, when Coulson was handed his Seadogs debut at the age of 16.

Eight years on, Kerr was quick to recommend the former teenage prodigy to City assistant manager Darron Gee when his contract expired at Grimsby in the summer.

Attracted by Mills’ attacking 4-3-3 formation, Coulson was subsequently lured to Bootham Crescent and has settled in swiftly, netting five goals already.

Added Kerr: “His finishing has been great. He’s not had a lot of chances but, when he has had them, he’s put them away.

“When he was a kid at Scarborough cleaning my boots, you could see the potential he had to be a good player. He had options to go to one or two League One clubs over the summer but he chose York, which is fair play to him because he could have followed the money.

“He enjoys playing football and, after we beat Grimsby last season, he told me he would love to play for a team like us because of the way we play. It suits his game because he’s not an out-and-out wide player.

“He’s a clever player and that’s showing with the goals he’s already scored.”