Matt Mills feels at home at Forest Green alongside brother Joseph
Veteran enjoys family ties at New Lawn
MATT Mills reckons he made the perfect choice in teaming up with brother Joseph at Forest Green this summer – and promotion would put the icing on the cake.
The 33-year-old has slotted in as Rovers’ player-coach with apparent ease and has bags of experience, having played for some of the country’s most high-profile clubs – Manchester City, Southampton and Leicester among them.
Following his departure from former Indian Super League side Pune City, Mills linked up with Rovers at the tail-end of last season to retain fitness ahead of the fresh campaign.
Despite that spell not being intended as a trial period, he soon latched on to the positive environment at Forest Green and, following discussions with head coach Mark Cooper, decided the New Lawn side were the best fit for his immediate future.
“I’d spoken to a few clubs in League One and in Australia,” he said. “But it really was too good an opportunity to pass up at Forest Green.
“The fit with the manager and the rest of the squad was great, but there was also an opportunity to play with my brother, to do some coaching, and to live closer to my family, so it worked out well.
“I’m best mates with Joseph, it’s the first time we’ve played together and, so far, I’m really enjoying it. I started out at Swindon so it’s nice to be near my family after such a long time away.
“I started thinking about my next steps when I was over in India, because I found the knowledge I had was quite advanced, and I was intrigued to see how it would work over here.”
Rovers have enjoyed an encouraging start this season, sitting second behind Mills’ hometown club Swindon prior to the weekend trip to Leyton Orient.
And while he is enjoying his role on the coaching staff, Mills insists he still has an important part to play in the Gloucestershire side’s quest to reach the third tier for the first time in their history.
“Promotion is the aim this year,” he said. “As a club we’re trying to be progressive, and after reaching the play-offs last season that would obviously mean going up this time around.
“We’re up there at the moment but it is just about taking it one game at a time and concentrating on performances over results. If we perform well, then we’ll get the points.
“I’m still enjoying playing, I’ve just got to get my body in the right place. I’ve struggled with injuries this year and I’ve always said to the manager I’m happy to help in any way I can.
“Whether that’s playing, coaching or whatever, I’m here to help the club move forward.”
Mills is quick to praise boss Cooper for giving him his coaching chance.
“I’ve worked with good managers and bad managers – in my opinion – so taking those experiences and then trying to implement them into real-life situations has been exciting,” he added.
“I really enjoy imprinting my thoughts on the manager and passing on my knowledge to the players around me. It’s been really rewarding and when you’re winning games, it’s a nice place to be.
“I have to thank the manager for being brave enough to give me that responsibility, and thankfully the dynamic between all of the coaching staff is paying
dividends.”