Craig Stanley: Aldershot Town captain eyes fresh start

Aldershot Town midfielder Craig Stanley hopes to lead by example after being appointed as captain.

The Shots begin life in the Conference Premier with a 10-point deduction.

The 30-year-old told BBC Surrey: "I have been trying to get into the players a bit. At times last year we were not together as a team.

"As a team and as a squad we were not good enough. We never should have got relegated but for whatever reason we did."

Stanley has only made five appearances for the Hampshire club after missing the majority of last season with a broken leg.

Following their relegation from League Two and a turbulent summer which saw the club in administration, the former Bristol Rovers man hopes the club do their supporters justice.

"It is a great honour for me to be captain as I have never been captain of a side before," he said.

"The squad is a bit light at the moment but we have got a bit of potential and we need to show that out on the pitch.

"Once we get on a roll hopefully people will come and support the team.

"We need to show the fans we are here and ready to go. As players, we just want everybody to get behind the team."

Shahid Azeem's consortium completed their buyout of Aldershot at the start of the month, but until that point Stanley says his own future had been up in the air.

"The situation after the last game and getting relegated was probably the most disappointing thing that has ever happened to me in my football career," he said.

"We didn't get paid on the Tuesday and on the Thursday we got put into administration.

"A week later I got three calls off the administrators.

"The first one I was told I was getting sacked. The second, within half an hour, I was told I was being reinstated.

"The third call, within an hour and a half, I got sacked again.

"It was very tough times and even coming back to pre-season I didn't know what the situation would be with myself, although I had another year on my deal."