By Phil Tooley

Last season, young Australian centre half Aaron Downes (20) made a number of league appearances for The Spireites, seven starts plus a couple of sub appearances, one of which was his debut, at home to MK Dons in which he scored one of his two first team goals (the other was in the win at Peterborough). However his appearances were punctuated with a few costly errors, a function of the Mudgee born players' inexperience more than anything, but under the tutelage of former England great centre half Roy McFarland, that element of his game has significantly improved and, during the summer of 2005, he'd done enough to impress his Manager and the Chesterfield public that he was worth a start in the season's opener at Blackpool. He never put a foot wrong as we bagged a 3-1 win. Selected again for the second match against Brentford at Saltergate, he once more began brightly but, after just 26 minutes, he was sitting back on the bench with his ankle surrounded by ice. Initial hospital visits diagnosed severe bruising but subsequently it was revealed that he'd suffered a hairline fracture, so a long period of rest was the only cure.

Just before Christmas, ironically at Brentford, the name of Downes was again on the teamsheet, as sub, and a week later he came on for a few minutes against Oldham Athletic, but with Steve Blatherwick and Reuben Hazell in fine form in the heart of the Spireites' defence, patience was always going to be needed.

His opportunity to get back on the teamsheet came last month at Doncaster when both Blathers and Reuben were absent, so Aaron and Alan O'Hare stepped in and had a great game in the 1-1 draw. Hazell returned the following week against Walsall and Aaron returned to the bench, only to reappear at half time after Shane Nicholson suffered a knee injury and Aaron moved back into the fray against Kevin James and Mads Timm, the like-lightening front pair of The Saddlers.

So just how good is it to be back? "It's been frustrating, but it's great to be back in the team. I'm loving playing having been through a frustrating time with my injury, it was hard to get over that, it's been a bit depressing but I've picked myself up, the physio department has been with me and got me through that and I've been helped with the psychology of getting over an injury, so I've been helped a lot by the Club and am just enjoying being back."

As stated, his summer was excellent, no doubt very satisfactory for the man, "I had a good pre-season, I was doing quite well and was really pleased, and I got into the starting eleven for the match at Blackpool and then at home to Brentford a few days later but I took a turn as well as a tackle at the same time and broke my ankle, not the best injury to get, but I'm over that now so I'm hoping to continue my spell in the team."

"I was quite confident ahead of the Doncaster game, I'd been brought on for the Oldham game, maybe only for five minutes, but it was important just to get a feel for things again. I'd had a couple of reserves games and I was confident because, at the start of the season, I was playing quite well and I just hoped things would continue from there and I'd be able to get a good game under my belt at Doncaster, and I thought me and Alan O'Hare did well, so I was very pleased with things."

So what of that pace of Walsall's and Bournemouth's too last week? "They were very quick and very skilful throughout the team, always tricky opponents. In fact since I came back I've not really played against a big centre forward type like the Chief, the opponents have been more Colin Larkin types, nippy and sharp. I play against Larks in training so I was confident going into all of the recent games. Steve Fletcher wasn't on the team sheet at Bournemouth but I'd anticipated James Hayter and Dani Rodrigues would start because they'd both scored the week before and are playing well, and I think they're both looking to move away as well, but in truth, I'm not bothered who I play against. I play against The Chief, who I think's the best in the League at doing what he does so I didn't think Fletcher would give me any trouble I couldn't handle. When I go out, I don't look at who I'm playing against, I just concentrate on my own game and adjust accordingly."

The youngster's got the shirt now, but he must be wary of the queue to get it off him again! "Exactly, there's a lot of competition but that's good for the club. We definitely have competition in my position, there are five of us wanting, in essence, two spots, me and Reuben who played at Bournemouth, Blathers who's injured, Alan and Janos, so there's a lot of competition so hopefully I can have a few good games and make that position mine."

Last summer of course, Aaron played for his Country in the World Youth Cup in Holland. Though The Aussies didn't manage to qualify from their group, which included the host Country, Benin and Japan, our man had a great time, "Playing in a World Cup is an amazing experience, an amazing feeling, there's nothing better than representing your Country. It was superb."

No doubt the experience helped numb the pain of our boys whooping the Down Unders' in the Ashes! "I've heard a lot about that but we'll give you one in 18 years, it's just a minor hiccup, you just wait until your trip to Australia!"

And the senior Australian side have of course made the Finals of the 2006 World Cup, due this summer in Germany, no doubt a real fillip to everyone involved in the game in Aaron's native land. "It's a great boost to everyone to do with Football Australia and I'm lucky enough to be a part of that. I doubt very much that I'll be involved in the 2006 World Cup, I'm too young for that, but I'm still looking at making the National Team sooner or later and for us to go to the World Cup for the first time in 30 or so years is great for us and everyone involved."

Fit again and back in Blue, what are Aaron's short and medium term aims now? "To keep my shirt and stay in the team, that'll be a big ask when Blatherwick gets back, so hopefully I can keep him out. Whoever I'm playing alongside, I just do my best. Medium term? I'd like to stay with the Club a bit longer, maybe even sign a new Contract, hopefully the Board's sorting that out! I'm really enjoying myself here, I've been looked after well, the club's been right by me, so I'd like to stay here a while yet."