Frustrated Sordell ‘can get a lot better’ after revealing extent of injury troubles

Striker Marvin Sordell admits he can ‘get a lot better’ and remains determined to show Cobblers fans his ‘true ability’ before the end of the season as he looks to fend off further injury trouble.
Marvin Sordell battles for possession against Port Vale. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty ImagesMarvin Sordell battles for possession against Port Vale. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images
Marvin Sordell battles for possession against Port Vale. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images

Nine weeks, five starts and no goals into his loan spell, it would be fair to say Northampton supporters are yet to see the best of the former Bolton, Burnley and Charlton Athletic striker.

Recruited by Keith Curle as a last-ditch, deadline-day signing from Burton Albion in January, Sordell was brought in with the intention of adding some extra firepower to a faltering Cobblers attack.

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But it hasn’t quite worked out as planned. Yet to score, and yet to make a significant impression, the 28-year-old’s season continues to be blighted by injury, though he did at least complete 90 minutes against Port Vale on Saturday, the first time he’s done so in a league game since playing in Burton’s 2-1 defeat at Wycombe at the start of October.

“It’s been a long time since I last completed a game,” Sordell admitted. “So I’m just enjoying being fit and being back playing.

“I had a knee injury. It was eventually diagnosed as a grade one medial tear. It’s difficult being out for long periods of time, especially when you’re not sure what the cause of the injury is, but I’m back fit and hopefully I can build on Saturday.”

Curle’s decision to sign Sordell was a gamble given the striker’s injury record this season and it only took 65 minutes of his first game, against Colchester on February 2, for his troublesome knee to strike again.

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“It was the exact same injury,” he explained. “When I came here I wasn’t fully fit and I played a game and it went OK but my knee flared up again so I had to take some time to get to the root of the problem and fix it and go from there.

“It’s no different from any other footballer – everyone in this industry started out because you love the game and eventually it becomes your career at some point.

“The love of the game doesn’t change. You want to play and you want to be out there on the pitch as opposed to being in the stands or on the bench or in the physio room.”

Having played the full 90 in Saturday’s defeat to Vale, Sordell is desperate to show Cobblers fans that he has much more to offer over the remaining six games of the season.

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“I’m hoping to get a lot better,” he added. “Saturday was my first 90 minutes in about five or six months and I spent four months of those out.

“So it’s good to be back playing and hopefully, before the end of the season, I can show the fans my true ability.”