Hoskins so proud as he prepares to make 200th appearance for the Cobblers

It was Saturday, August 8, 2015 that Hoskins took his bow in Town colours, as a 73rd-minute substitute for John-Joe O’Toole in a 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers.

This weekend, Hoskins returns to the Memorial Stadium and, if selected, will play his 200th match for the Cobblers.

It is quite an achievement for the 27-year-old, who signed on after impressing Chris Wilder while on trial, having bounced around clubs such as Barnet, Yeovil, Stevenage and Rotherham United after being released by Southampton.

Hoskins has outlasted a string of managers and scores of players, and in the summer he ensured his stay at Sixfields would stretch into at least a sixth season as he put pen to paper on a two-year contract

“When I first signed here, I didn’t envisage that I would play 200 games for the club,” said Hoskins this week.

“But it is a great honour for me, and it is nice to have been at a club for so long.

"There have been ups and downs, but credit to all the managers, and I have had a few over the time, for keeping picking me and backing me.

“My consistency has been up and down, but I feel as though now I have hit good form and hopefully I can carry that on.”

Hoskins, who has scored 33 goals in his time at the club, has proved his versatility over the seasons, with every manager, from Wilder to Rob Page, from Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink to Dean Austin, and now Keith Curle, making him a key player in their teams.

“The main thing for me when I first signed here was to get games, as for whatever reason it was, before I came here I couldn’t cement a starting place,” he said.

“I came here and the managers have stuck by me, and now the gaffer (Curle) has shown his faith in me, whether I am playing central midfield, up front, right wing-back, left wing-back - and I think I finished the game on Saturday at right-sided centre-half!

“It’s credit to him to trust me, but I am happy to play wherever and I will always give 100 per cent effort.”

Hoskins has clearly got a good relationship with Curle, and he admits that was a key factor in him signing his new deal in the summer, following the Cobblers’ play-off final win at Wembley.

“The first choice for me was to stay here after such a good season, and the fact I have built that relationship with the manager and the coaching staff, which was a big thing for me,” he said.

“There was interest from elsewhere, but my main thought was that I wanted to stay here and continue that relationship with the manager.”

Hoskins is set to start against the Gas on Saturday.

The home side go into the game sitting bottom of Sky Bet League One and without a win in any competition this season, but the Town man knows nothing can be read into that.

“A lot of teams will still be finding their feet with new players coming in, but every team is in this league for a reason,” said Hoskins.

“We know Bristol Rovers have quality, they are going to have strengths and weaknesses, and we have to assess them and analyse the way they play. Then we have to look to put a team out that is going to win the game.

“We can’t focus too much on the table, we just have to focus on how they play, and how we are going to beat them.”

And on marking his 200th Town appearance at the Memorial?

“My debut was there as well, so it is strange the way it has come round,” admitted Hoskins.

“As I have said, it is a huge honour to have played so many games here and hopefully we can pick up three points on Saturday and then look towards the next 200 games!”