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Sport

Maidstone United loanee Sean Shields is the man to replace injured skipper Blair Turgott

By: Craig Tucker ctucker@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 00:00, 07 December 2018

Sean Shields is ready to fill the void left by Blair Turgott at Maidstone.

Shields’ loan signing from Ebbsfleet is timely with Turgott out for between four and six weeks with a knee injury.

The winger came on for his debut against Eastleigh last week in place of Turgott and has a big role to play in his month at the Gallagher as Maidstone bid to climb the National League.

Sean Shields has the quality to get at defenders Picture: Steve Terrell

Shields, 26, said: “I know Blair, I’ve played with him before and he’s a very, very good player.

“I don’t really look to compare myself to anyone but I know what I’m good at.

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“I’m an attacking winger, creative, I get a lot of assists and I look to add goals as well.

“I could probably add a few more goals, which is definitely something I’ll look to do here.

“It’s a shame Blair’s not fit during my loan spell because it would have been good to play with him but I’m ready to step up to the challenge and help the team moving forward.

“Hopefully I can be the one to kick-start a run for us.

“I’ve got great confidence in myself and I look forward to any challenge.

“This is a different one because unfortunately the team are down there at the minute.

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"There’s a lot of quality but for one reason or another we are down the bottom.

“I don’t want to to call it a relegation dogfight yet but we know we’ve got to get points on the board.

Sean Shields whips in a cross on his Maidstone debut against Eastleigh Picture: Steve Terrell

“I’m ready for that challenge and I’m pretty confident my team-mates are, too.”

Shields worked with Harry Wheeler at St Albans and Dagenham.

He’s happy to be reunited with the Stones boss but doesn’t know if the move will become permanent.

Shields said: “At the minute, it’s just a month’s loan and I’m looking forward to working with Harry again and getting my head down and playing as many games as I can.

“I’ve known him since I was quite young.

“I’ve worked with him a couple of times now and I’m looking forward to cracking on this month.

“He had more of a coaching role back then and now he’s the gaffer.

“I’ve always enjoyed his sessions, always liked working under him, even though they were only brief spells before.

“We’ve kept in touch ever since and we always said if there’s a chance to make it happen again in the future then we’ll look to take it.

“We’ll see what happens in January.

“Whenever a deal’s put on the table, or a club comes in for me, it’s my agent who sorts it out.

On-loan Maidstone winger Sean Shields is up for the challenge Picture: Steve Terrell

“I try and stay away from that because I don’t want to get caught up in any problems, so I just look to be professional and do the business on the pitch.”

Maidstone are in the bottom four going into Saturday’s game at Barrow.

They’ve won only once in nine league matches but Shields is confident they will turn the corner.

He said: “I haven’t see anything that would indicate why we’re down there.

“There’s very fine margins at this level of football.

“If you don’t concede goals you always give yourself a chance of winning the game at the other end.

“At the minute the general consensus is we’re conceding too many goals from set-pieces, which is something we’re going to look to eradicate going into the Barrow game.

“Hopefully we can keep a nought at one end and the attacking players, like myself, can do the business at the other end.”

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