ONE man determined to benefit from Grimsby Town's FA Trophy First Round replay is new loan signing Michael Rankine.
The Aldershot striker tied-up a one-month deal last week, and made his Town debut as a second half substitute in Saturday's frustrating 0-0 draw with Buxton at Blundell Park.
And while a replay in Derbyshire tomorrow was the last thing the Mariners' bosses, players and fans wanted, the big forward hopes it will provide him with another chance to impress.
"I'm not as sharp as I want to be – I want to be sharper and get back to the player I was," Rankine told the Telegraph.
"I haven't really hit the levels I can recently, but I will at Grimsby because I can tell already that everyone is full of confidence here.
"Sometimes it's good to come into a new environment where you've got a clean slate and show exactly what you can do.
"This is a great move for me at the moment – I can play some games, get fit and help Grimsby win some games, starting tomorrow."
The 27-year-old, who has made 20 appearances for the Shots this campaign, is desperate to make the most of his stay in Cleethorpes.
He continued: "In football there's always competition for places and I'm always keen to fight for my place.
"If there's no competition you get lazy and you get complacent – I never want to be like that so, for me, it's great to have that challenge.
"It's up to me to prove to the gaffers that I'm the man to play now."
"I'm a northern boy but my contract is with Aldershot, so it's very hard to say what could happen after the initial one-month's loan spell ends. All I know is that I'm going to be giving absolutely everything while I'm here, and I want to leave Grimsby Town with everyone thinking 'yeah, Rankine did well for us'."
Outlining his strengths as a player, he added: "I'm a targetman, I win my flick-ons. I'd like to contribute more with my goals because I've never really been prolific, but I work hard and give 100 per cent every week.
"Town's bosses know what kind of a player I am, I'm a handful – I think I can create goals, score goals and the rest will look after itself.
"I've had a lot of experience in the Conference, which could come in handy. I was at Rushden & Diamonds and also had two good years at York.
"The first year I was there we went to the play-off final, and we didn't have the best of budgets either.
"Hopefully I can use that experience and know-how to help Grimsby back into the Football League."
