Gingerbreads defender Ryan Holland has praised the atmosphere of the club since making the move from Vanarama National League North side Kettering Town, a move which he feels has helped rediscover his love for the game.

The 23-year-old, who was a former member of the Grantham Youth Academy before a spell playing over in the USA for Orange County, explained how well he had settled into life back at the Meres.

He said: “It’s been really good so far; the whole atmosphere is great here".

“The lads and management staff have been really welcoming and even though results haven’t necessarily gone our way this season, everybody is working hard, and it is a great group to be involved in.

“I signed for Kettering originally but being here has helped me fall back in love with the game almost with all the training and games played. We all like to have a laugh in the squad but we also take it seriously and we’re looking forward to getting back out there.”

Making seven appearances so far, with one goal to his name against Stafford Rangers, the Gingerbreads defender has been impressed with the support from the travelling Black and White army.

“The fans have been really supportive so far".

“I missed pre-season with Grantham but being lucky enough to play in front of fans in the league has been really helpful".

“They always help to raise your game. They’re very supportive and welcoming no matter what the result is, and we’ve got a nice contingent of them who come to all the home and away games too which is great to see.

“I always feel like my personal performance improves when they are there and without them, it wouldn’t be the same.

With lockdown unfortunately halting the 2020/21 campaign until December 2nd, it came at a bad time for the Gingerbreads who had just began to find their momentum.

A win against Yaxley in the Buildbase FA Trophy and a draw, where on another day they could have taken all three points, against Stalybridge Celtic in the Pitching In Northern Premier League, has helped boost the confidence of the squad, something that Holland says they need to apply when the football returns.

“It’s been a really tough start to the season, but apart from a few of the games, I think we have played relatively well but just not got the results to show for it” said Holland.

“The last two games were much better from us however and we all spoke at the end of the Stalybridge game about how important it is for us to hit the ground running when we return".

“Everybody is working hard, and we will make sure we are ready for when the season is back.”

With no football currently, the 23-year-old spoke about what he has been doing to keep himself busy during the temporary suspension of the league.

Holland said: “We were all sent a fitness package by the staff to ensure we keep that sharpness and stay ready for when the football returns and I’ve been trying my best to just get out and about as much as possible.

“Other than that, I’ve been playing a lot of Call of Duty with all my friends and I’ve also started the new series of Line of Duty on Netflix which I’ve been really getting into, so I will definitely be finishing that before the end of lockdown.”

Finally, Holland also provided some words of encouragement to the Gingerbreads supporters during the lockdown period.

He said: “The best bit of advice I could give is try to keep yourself as busy as possible".

“Whether that being some form of workout, a run or even just going for a walk, getting that fresh air and keeping yourself busy is great".

“There’s nothing better than that feeling of when you’ve achieved something like that but it’s also about making sure everybody is staying safe too and looking after everyone around you which is the most important thing we can do at this time.”