It is said to be every striker’s dream to score 20 goals in a season — and Town’s very own number nine, Freddie Ladapo, is no exception.
He is already halfway towards the target, which has so far eluded him in his career in the EFL, but makes no secret of his desire to deliver at the earliest opportunity.
Ladapo netted 15 for Rotherham last term, nine in the curtailed 2020/21 campaign and 17 in his first season with the Millers. He spent 2018/19 with Plymouth and netted 19 in total, so could this be the season he breaks through the 20-goal barrier?
"I certainly hope so,” he said. "Even though I’m happy with my contribution, I do want a lot more and I ask a lot more of myself. I hope 20 goals is something I can achieve this season.”
But when it comes to his current tally, Ladapo admitted: "I’m never happy, never content. I don’t think any striker can be, to be honest. I am happy that I’m doing something and it has been a help to the team.
"I’ve had a helping hand in the games that we’ve played, whether scoring or not scoring. I’m very happy with my contribution so far and hopefully I can get a lot more.”
Asked about his goals to date, he added: "Charlton away was very exciting and Portsmouth at home was very exciting, so I think the goals I scored in those games were my favourites.”
Town go into tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round tie at home to Rotherham having won just one of their last three league games, at home to Oxford, while their trips to Portsmouth and Lincoln earned a point apiece, the true cost of which was to drop down to third in the table behind Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday.
But at least they remained unbeaten over the Christmas period and Ladapo added: "In a football season you get positives and also some flat moments, but the important thing is that we didn’t lose any of those games and we were still picking up points — and they are points you don’t really get a chance to appreciate until the end of the season.
"So, as long as we can continue to collect the points and win games as we go forward, that’s all we can actually focus on, ourselves.
"It’s a test of your character when you are going through those flat periods but during the course of a season you are going to have them. You might be on a 10-game unbeaten run where everything is super-high and positive — and then you have, say, five games where you can’t even buy a win.
"I think the focus has to remain the same and with us we have averaged two points per game and always remained positive. We have to look at the positive side and remain focused on what our goal is.”
One bonus for Town is that the illness bug that spread through the group in recent weeks has relented, with Ladapo explaining: "Thankfully, the illness hasn’t lasted for too long and we have had a better week on that front.
"You might play one or two games feeling a bit under the weather and then, come the third game, you feel a bit dire, but this week has been a lot better for the whole squad.
"For me the next two weeks are very exciting because we’re playing against Rotherham and then Plymouth, two of my previous clubs, and there will be a lot of fans and players who know me from my time there who will be seeing me again.
"But for the team, which is always more important than anything else, it’s about being able to test ourselves against Championship opposition and then the League One leaders as we challenge them for the title and to be promoted. I would say that both games are quite huge for us.”
Ladapo was questioned abut his feelings at the end of recent games when he has learned of Plymouth’s near-relentless progress at the top of the table. He said: "Everyone checks the results and they will be looking at ours as well.
"It’s only when one team has created a bit of a gap that you start to lay off it a little bit, but I can see it being like that constantly until the end of the season and how far it goes.”
When the conversation turned to squad rotation, which has seen manager Kieran McKenna refresh the starting line-up every few games, Ladapo added: "Different managers have different ways of doing things, different styles of playing and the way they like to manage and coach, but my main priority in this team is to have as much of a positive impact as possible. I’ve tried to do that and hopefully I can carry on doing that for this team.”
Ladapo agreed it represented a different type of challenge to come off the bench and look to make an immediate impact, adding: "I also think that you have to be mentally prepared for starting in different matches as well. When you come on during a game it’s at the discretion of how the team is doing, so maybe the team does need you to come on and try to get a goal, try to force a little situation and try to change the momentum of how the game is going.
"Sometimes you might go on when the team is winning and they just need you to hold shape, maybe press and, you know, maybe win a few fouls. You have to adjust to how the game is going so it’s different challenges that a player has to go through.”
Focusing on his own role within McKenna’s team, he continued: "Being the number nine is a very tough role. A lot is expected of you in terms of on the ball and off the ball, and you have to be expected to score, to lead the line and do quite a lot of things. I think it’s a challenge I have embraced and one I’m ready to continue to embrace.
"I played as one of two up front for the majority of my time at Rotherham and at Plymouth we played with one up top, so I’ve done it and I haven’t done it before.”
Ladapo was less keen to comment on the fact that a year ago he requested a transfer at Rotherham, which the club accepted, but he ended up staying on board through to the end of the season that saw the Millers promoted as League One runners-up and his three-year deal expire, which in turn led to him being snapped up as a free agent by the Blues.
He said: "Different people have different reasons for why they want to leave and I had my own personal reasons for why I wanted to cut short the relationship or situation. I’m happy to be here and that’s all I can focus on.”