It has been a year to remember for Exeter City’s Jayden Stockley, whose recent goal-scoring exploits mean he’s in pretty impressive company on the 2018 charts.

Stockley has scored 24 goals in the calendar year and, up until the end of November, only Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo have managed more in all competitions. 

Asked about his incredible run, the striker says he’s been the talk of the City dressing room, and put the success down to his team-mates.

“I have been working hard and I am settled for the first time in my career, I am part of a successful team and one that has been playing well – the service I have been getting from my teammates has been brilliant,” he said.

“It is a good bit of banter really, a lot of my friends text me and say ‘oh my God’. It is nice to see how many goals you can get in the calendar year.

“I think I have broken a record for Exeter, certainly during the Trust era, but it is a case of getting as many as possible and helping the team to win games.”

The Grecians came close to sealing promotion to Sky Bet League One at the end of the 2017/18 season, but were beaten 3-1 by Coventry City in the Sky Bet League Two play-off final.

And Stockley believes the side will be right up there again at the end of this season.

“We came desperately close to promotion in the past two seasons, and at the moment we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” he added.

“Last season was agonising and it wasn’t nice, so we’re back this season and you have to give credit to the boys for where we are.

“We have set ourselves up nicely at the moment and hopefully we can get back on the run like we did at the start of the season and go on once again.”

Former player Matt Taylor was handed the managerial reigns at the start of the 2018/19 campaign as previous boss Paul Tisdale ended his 12-year association with the club, and the striker says the appointment has benefited his game.

”The gaffer coming in has been perfect for me personally and the goals have continued this season, and it is that confidence you have to keep when you haven’t been scoring,” he said.

“I have been playing every week, I have been in teams where if you weren’t scoring you would come out of the side, and now it is nice to know that if you are not scoring goals but doing well otherwise, you still in the team.”

“You look at players such as Glenn Murray and what he is doing in the Premier League, he is someone that I need to model my game on really.”


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