Throughout the final two of Adam Attain’s three seasons at West Brom, he couldn’t catch a break with accidents.
In 2022-23, he was restricted to simply three Sky Guess Championship begins and solely 5 in 2023-24.
When his contract expired in June 2024 and he left The Hawthorns, the saving grace was that he was match once more and able to discover a new membership.
Then 30, and with over 400 appearances to his identify, he could be a lovely prospect – or so he thought.
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Lincoln Metropolis’s Adam Attain discusses the realities of the seven-month interval he spent as a free agent after leaving West Brom in the summertime of 2024.
“It was the first time really I’d been out of contract and I think I was a little bit naïve now, looking back,” he tells Sky Sports activities.
“I robotically thought, I’ve performed X quantity of video games within the Championship that, by default, that the following membership will simply come alongside.
“However we’re seeing within the final couple of years is golf equipment taking a slight shift in direction of youthful gamers and gamers from abroad, attempting to convey them in and flip them for revenue, which is nice. However, with each shift of a technique, there’s at all times then some individuals who get left behind and fall by the online and I feel I used to be in that.
Attain managed simply eight Championship begins throughout 2022/23 and 2023/24
“Those seven months when I was out of contract were really difficult as someone who’s played every season for the last 13, 14 years. To then not have that feeling of being in a club and sitting on the sofa and watching Gillette Soccer Saturday instead of being out there and playing is really difficult.
“I hope that I am not in that state of affairs ever once more. I do not want that upon anybody.”
Reach attended the inaugural PFA pre-season – a fully-funded, residential training camp designed to help free agents back into the game – that summer, but when the 2024-25 season got under way, he was still at square one.
“For just about 99 per cent of the time, I skilled by myself,” he says.
“Naturally – and fairly thankfully – I am a match lad and I do not assume it takes hundreds for me to maintain on prime of it. However you’ll be able to’t replicate the match day expertise and the excessive depth of coaching by yourself. It is unattainable.
“The biggest thing was the mental side; the lack of a routine, a schedule, a purpose and getting up in the morning, knowing that you’re not training, you’re not working towards the game on a Saturday, which is what we all love to do.
“It was the mental balance of trying to get up and go out and do my work, and hope and trust in the process that, eventually, I’d get an opportunity.”
It did enable time for reflection, although. And a uncommon alternative to restrict the pressure on his physique.
“I always try and put a positive spin on it,” Attain provides.
“From a physical point of view, it allowed me to take a little break and have a period of not as intense training, which takes its toll, whatever age you are, when it’s Saturday, Tuesday, week in, week out.
“Perhaps from a psychological viewpoint, it pressed the reset button and jogged my memory how a lot I really like being an expert footballer, how lucky I’m to be on this place. You may typically overlook about that and overlook how fortunate all of us are.
“That time away from it sparked a little fire in my belly again to get back out there. We’re all humans, we want to prove people wrong, don’t we? I also wanted to prove myself right that I wasn’t finished and I still had a lot more to give the club and a lot more matches and games left in my career.”
He performed 15 occasions for Wycombe after signing a short-term deal in February 2025
A possibility did lastly come up on February 3 2025, when Attain signed a short-term deal at Wycombe. He performed 15 occasions for the Chairboys and helped them attain the League One play-offs.
He left after they didn’t get to the ultimate and, after one other stint at PFA pre-season, signed for Lincoln, the place he’s making up for misplaced time – after which some.
The 32-year-old penned a one-year deal on September 1, however by January 26 he had made such an affect to the Imps’ promotion push – contributing 4 objectives and three assists from left-back – that the 12-month extension was triggered early.
“You’ve always got to back your own potential. I was confident I could get into the team, and once I got a run in the team, I was confident my performance levels would improve and maintain at a high level,” says Attain.
Lincoln triggered a 12-month extension in Attain’s deal in January
“On reflection, it’s probably gone better than I expected in terms of my own performances, but also with how well the club itself are doing in League One. It’s been brilliant. I’ve settled in so well. I feel like I’ve been here a few years now rather than six months and that’s a by-product of how good the people are at this club.
“I am so glad I’ve signed a brand new deal and I am assured to be right here for subsequent 12 months as effectively, as a result of the membership is on such a constructive journey and it is an actual honour to even simply play a small half in that, however it’s a component that I need to proceed enjoying for a lot of extra years.”
The way in which issues are going, he may quickly discover himself enjoying that function within the Championship.
Michael Skubala’s aspect are presently on a run of 14 video games with out defeat and jostling with Cardiff for the League One title. The hole between themselves and Bolton in third stands at 5 factors, with 16 video games left to play.
Attain admits it’s enterprise as ordinary, one sport at a time, whereas additionally maintaining the non-public and collective finish objectives on the forefront of his thoughts.
“I don’t think you shouldn’t hide away from talking about promotion. It’s the aim of the club and we’ll put ourselves in a fantastic position to do so.
“We have additionally acquired a very good squad if we do get into the Championship, we’ve gamers within the squad that know the way intense the Championship is and what it takes to outlive in there. The membership, within the final couple of switch home windows, have recruited very well and I am positive they’d do the identical once more.
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Highlights of the Sky Guess League One match between Lincoln Metropolis and Bolton Wanderers.
“It would be fantastic to see for the city and that the people here. We get reminded of this all the time, it’s been a long time since this club’s been in the second tier and for us as players, not that we need extra motivation, but that gives us that little bit extra to fight for, knowing that it would be a historical moment.
“Personally, simply with 15 video games left, if I can play a component in all of these, I am nigh-on 40-game season, which I feel is nice. That is one thing within the early components of my profession I used to be simply doing regularly, not likely considering an excessive amount of about it. I might like to get again to that and in addition keep match, identical to anybody.
“If I can look back on this season and we’ve achieved what we wanted to, then it will go down as the best moment of my career, the best season of my career by far.”
Watch Lincoln vs Northampton dwell on Sky Sports activities+ on Tuesday night time; kick-off 7.45pm
