Life at AFC Telford is much better second time around for captain Luke Rowe

The 23-year-old midfielder rejoined the Bucks from Bromsgrove Sporting in February, having spent a brief spell at the club during the forgettable 2022/23 season that ended in relegation from the National League North.

And Rowe, who was named as the new club captain by Kevin Wilkin ahead of his second debut for the club last month, insisted he hopes his arrival has not changed the good work done by his new team-mates throughout the season.

“It’s a much more positive club this time around, and it’s definitely a better fit for me this time,” he explained. “I’d like to say I’m a big character in terms of wanting to win, and I feel like I’ve been able to come into this group and stamp a bit of authority on to it.”

Rowe continued: “The first thing I said to the lads when I was named captain in the dressing room before my debut was that I’m not here to take away or change anything that the boys have achieved, and at the end of the season when we win something I’ll make sure one of the lads who has been here all season lifts the trophy.

“I’m here to help us get over the line, and me going away has helped that I feel.

“I’ve had to manage Bromsgrove on three occasions, I was assistant to Tim Flowers there, so I’d say my mentality of wanting to win everything hasn’t changed, but my knowhow on how to win and understand players and people has improved.

“I feel like I’ve gone away and matured a bit more, and that’s what I wanted to bring to Telford.”

And with a promotion battle in full swing and a positive feeling throughout the club now, Rowe admitted he could not be happier with the Telford he has returned to.

“The lads are a really good group, whereas when I first came in the gaffer didn’t really have his own team and had to take over a different group,” he said. “Now he’s actually brought his own players in and it’s his team. It's such a good environment, and I’ve seen a different side to the manager as well this time.

“He’s more positive, the staff are more positive and there’s just a really good feeling around the place whereas before there was a lot of negative energy, and you could tell that as a player.

“In my first spell the players at the club were very negative and were like acid. They didn’t want to be there; they didn’t want to train, and it was quite a hostile environment.

“We were travelling all around the north and a lot of lads just didn’t want to be there, whereas now everyone wants to be here, everyone wants to train, and everyone knows they have to train how they play, not just turn up and kick a ball around.

“Now it’s a place where people want to be, they want to put work in for one another and it’s a good environment.”

Rowe finished: “A big difference I’ve noticed is the fans as well. On Saturday I was expecting the fans to get on our backs because we conceded late on, I thought we’d be given some grief for it, but I remember going over and they were saying ‘head up’ and things like that, which is a massive change.”