Cardle just wants to play

"It is just the way I am - I just want to be playing all the time - if I am up in the stand I am not a happy guy."

Joe Cardle had an arduous pre season at Airdrie last year with a lot of running involved.The 22 year old contrasted that with his experiences when he was at Port Vale:-

"When I was in England there wasn't as much running. Pre season we played against the likes of Manchester United, it was still very hard.I have enjoyed pre season at Dunfermline and we are getting looked after well."

Comparing the standard of the lower leagues with what he has experienced since coming to Scotland Joe said:

"League One was a good league; I played in it for three years as a professional and it is a good standard.Now I am just happy to be playing regular football up here, that is what I came up here to do.

"I am optimistic for the season ahead.I think we have a great chance; there are quality players in the team.When you are training day in day out with them you find out players; it is good to get to know players, what they do, where they like to run on the pitch.It is good getting to know one another in pre season."

Joe smiled when he was reminded that in an Airdrie United strip he appeared to 'find out' Greg Ross at New Broomfield last season:-

"I got a wee bit of banter about it when I came in last season but that is all forgotten now, we need to work together as a team instead of against each other."  He assured that he wouldn't be falling out with any of his own team mates either, "That is all in the past now, just a silly thing that happened. The boys are brilliant here I get on with them all.

"I hope to start against Arbroath and play as many games as possible. It is just the way I am - I just want to be playing all the time - if I am up in the stand I am not a happy guy."

Joe didn't start the game on Saturday against Hibs but that was expected since he played on Tuesday night against Dundee United:-

"I came on for the last half hour but we just didn't get it together on Saturday. The Manager was disappointed and the boys were all gutted when they walked in because no one wants to lose a game of football.

"Pre season games are about getting fit so we have to take the positives out of the game.We can't look at the negatives, I know we got beat 4-0 but you have just got to get your fitness back up and when the league starts that's when we want the three points."