Having been plucked from the non-League a few years ago, Marvin Bartley is now truely showing what he is capable of in League One following some superb individual performances in recent weeks.
Speaking in the Bournemouth Evening Echo, Bartley is quoted as saying: "Coming from non-league, it does take a bit longer to adjust. Some of the boys have been doing it full-time since they were 16 and it was more difficult coming in at 19. People expect you to be able to do it straight away but that’s not the case. I was a few years behind some of the others so it has taken a bit of time. We know we are going to come up against some experienced campaigners and better players in this league. I think that is inspiring not only me to step up my game, but a lot of the other players as well. On the whole, we’ve done well so far and hopefully it will continue. When you are on the pitch, reputations don’t count for anything. When I’m out there, I’m looking to play my game and, if anybody gets in the way, I will try to get them out of the way. If you start showing people too much respect, you can take your mind off the game. You can shake hands afterwards but it’s all about winning".