Ambitious Golcar United new boy Dan Naidole wants a few more promotions on his CV before he retires.
Naidole, 30, insists he hasn’t come to Golcar to just sit in the middle of the division.
“When I signed I told the manager Ash Connor I didn’t want us to be just shuffling around the middle of the league,” he said. “Ash wants us to get promoted and I want it too. I want to win the league, that’s my aim.”
Born in England, Naidole is of Fijian heritage and his grandfather and uncles both played Rugby League.
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He said: “My grandad Thomasi moved to England to play Rugby League and my uncles Tom and Joe also played the game. I played it at school but broke my wrist and decided rugby wasn’t for me.”
On his career in football Cowlersley-based Naidole said: “I didn’t start playing until about 12 where I played for Linthwaite. I then moved up to open age football at 16 where I signed for Bay Athletic.
“I made my way up the Bay Athletic teams and when I turned 19 I moved up to semi-pro level and signed for Ossett Albion.
“After my time at Ossett I signed for Brighouse where I had a great time. I won the league there and it was just a great experience.
“I played under a manager called Paul Quinn at Brighouse. I’d played with him at Bay before he stepped up to management. It helped me sign for Brighouse because I knew him and a lot of the lads. The thing that Quinny built was a great dressing room with loads of local lads and the chemistry just worked, a bit like what we now have at Golcar. I scored lots of goals there and enjoyed it.”
After winning the North East Counties League Division One trophy in 2014 with Brighouse, Naidole went from a huge high to a devastating low two years later. Whilst at Huddersfield YMCA Naidole suffered a terrible injury.
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On the injury and how he coped with it he said: “I tore my MCL, my cartilage in my knee whilst at Huddersfield YMCA. We were in the second to last game of the season. I had to wear a leg brace for six weeks. I missed the whole of the 2016/17 season, I had to have rehabilitation and everything.
“People probably thought I’d be back for the following season but I wasn’t. That type of injury made me sofa bound for months on end. It wasn’t like I was desperate to just get back to football, I was desperate to get back to normal life.
“It was really depressing. I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t work, go to the toilet or shower properly, I couldn’t leave my own house because of this brace on my leg. My mum and brother were a great support for me then.”
After recovering from the injury Naidole played for a number of clubs before deciding to move to Golcar this season.
On that decision he said: “Ash kept texting me asking me to come. However I wanted to keep playing at a higher level. Things started to get harder and so eventually I accepted the offer from the club.
“I have sat down with the chairman and Ash and Gav Connor and I love what they are doing. I think they have brought the club on leaps and bounds.”
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Having enjoyed his first few months at the club, Naidole believes he could see himself staying at the club for the rest of his career.
“Everyone has a terrific bond in the village. The thing with Golcar is that it is always trying to improve and move forward.
“I do probably see myself staying at Golcar until I call it a day. I like being at the club, it’s a good dressing room and it has some brilliant people involved with it.”