Ascot United’s new striker Nathan Minhas has hit the headlines in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division this season with three hat tricks already to his name.
The 20-year-old has scored 12 goals already this season with one of those coming in the FA Cup, on the back of international honours earned in the CONIFA World Cup this summer.
Football in Bracknell caught up with Minhas, the former Maidenhead United and Beaconsfield Town player to get his thoughts on the fledgling season so far.
You’ve started in some style with Ascot. In terms of goals is this your best start to a season?
Yes since coming from youth football, this has to be the best start to a season I’ve had at senior level which feels really good.
How have you settled in at Ascot? Who did you know already at the club?
I’ve settled in really well actually, sometimes coming into a new team can take a while to settle in but I settled in straight away. All the boys that were already here from last season made me and the rest of the new boys feel welcome, and also knowing Aaron Steadman and Dan Masters from Maidenhead where I was at last year, it made it a whole lot easier as they knew what I was capable of.
Was that youth/under 23 football last year? You’ve clearly not had to much trouble making the step up!
Yeah under 23 last year. I always knew I could play at this level as I had a similar start with Beaconsfield 2 seasons ago when I was 18, I think I scored 8 in 5 which included goals in the FA Cup, but back then I took a dip in form and didn’t react well to that. So I’ve always known I could take the step , I think taking a year at under 23 level really helped me gain confidence and my form again.
You played in the CONIFA World Cup in the summer for Panjab if I remember rightly? How was that as an experience and how did it come about?
Yeah that’s right, the experience was amazing ! Playing around and against a lot of high level and more experienced players really taught me a lot. I remember watching my brother play in the CONIFA World Cup final two years ago in Abkhazia, and since then I said I wanted to play in the next one!
My brother put in a word for me and got me down for a few trials and I managed to impress the manager and his team and then went from there and got myself in the World Cup team.
🆕✍️ OUR FOURTH SIGNING OF THE DAY IS @NathanMinhas18!
21 year old striker who was Maidenhead United U23’s top goal scorer last season.
Represented @PanjabFA at this years @CONIFAOfficial world cup scoring 4 goals en route to the quarter finals!#WelcomeMinhas #YELLAMEN 💛💙 pic.twitter.com/uuTmj7wAki
— Ascot United FC (@AscotUnitedFC) June 22, 2018
Brilliant. Did your brother play this year?
Yeah he did, which is also good being able to play at that level with my brother.
Back to Ascot, have the management team set any targets this season? Do you have a personal goal target?
Not in particular , we all want to win something this year and I know that’s something personally I want to achieve with ascot. But we aren’t putting any pressure on ourselves we are taking each game as it comes and or target is to win every game . My personal target is 2 goals a month which I set myself at the start of the season.
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Main image: Nathan Minhas by Neil Graham.
