A crucial and near-ever present figure in the scholars' defence last term, Blaine Hudson is aware of the importance of the season ahead.
Tall, tanned and with bright-blond hair, Hudson is every inch the picture book schoolboy captain. But while he may appear almost docile, Blaine admits he relishes the physical aspect of the sport: "I like the Ridgeons League and playing against physical opponents - I think it's benefitted me loads. I prefer that to just passing the ball about for fun."
With few natural centre-halves in last season's squad, Blaine, newly-signed, was pressed into action early on in his scholarship, alongside third-year Lewis Carr, who smoothed his younger colleague's transition into men's football.
Blaine admits, "At the start of last season I spent a couple of months quite frustrated, but Lewis helped me a lot; it's quite physically and mentally demanding."
The summer had been quite a whirlwind for the defender, as he explains: "Until May I was with Norwich City, then I had a falling out and left. Jez (George) 'phoned me up that night and wanted me to go and play in a tournament in France. My dad's a lorry driver, so he took me to Dover, I got on a ferry and met Jez at the other side. I didn't even know him!"
His showings across the Channel were more than enough to convince the youth development staff of his merits. "Within a day," Jez enthused, "he looked like he had been part of our squad all season and it was an easy decision to offer him a scholarship."
One year, four league goals, one final and a second place later, Blaine captained the side to success at that same competition where he had made his name. The team didn't concede a goal until the final, setting a parsimonious tone for the campaign ahead.
Where Lewis Carr was the senior partner last season, much of the organisational responsibility will now fall upon Hudson's six foot five shoulders. While Carr has been retained as a senior player, as the season progresses first-year scholars Josh England and Alex Bevan will be levered into the back four to gain competitive experience.
Blaine is well aware of the burden: "It feels a bit weird; I've taken on quite a lot of responsibility and people are going to look at me more than last season. I'd like to become a role model for the younger ones; it helps me concentrate more."
He is likewise conscious of the importance of the months ahead as the competition for a professional contract gathers pace. But the Gorleston-born youngster is typically confident of his chances: "I've trained with the first team before, and if I improve at the same rate as last year, it should happen.
"I've been pretty consistent - you think if you can do the basics then the other things come after, but centre-halves get judged on their mistakes."
Mistakes have so far been few, and the youngster is sure he's in the right place to minimise them and to achieve his potential: "People at Norwich would say, 'you'll never do any good', but here it's better, where there are people who believe in me."
Henry Milward
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