SWINDON TOWN: Contract uncertainty plays on Martin's mind (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON TOWN: Contract uncertainty plays on Martin's mind

6:00am Saturday 12th January 2013 in Sport By Sam Morshead

Chris Martin

DEALING with an uncertain future has become second nature for Chris Martin, but it remains an uncomfortable part of the striker’s footballing life.

The 24-year-old has found himself out of favour at parent club Norwich since the Canaries gained promotion to the Premier League in 2011, spending much of last season on loan at Crystal Palace and two months of this term at Swindon Town.

The frontman’s contract with the Norfolk outfit expires at the end of the current campaign and, with Norwich not expected to take up a year’s option on Martin, he is once again considering what comes next in his career.

To settle his mind, the forward commits himself fully to training and preparation for matches. But he openly admits that it is not easy to cast thoughts of his contractual situation to one side.

He said: “You just have to try to forget about it. It’s not nice. I’ve had it for a while at Norwich now, I suppose - a little bit of uncertainty about my future. I had to go on loan last year because I wasn’t playing and it’s just something you have to get used to and not think about.

“It can be hard because of the uncertainty. The biggest thing is not knowing, I think anyone will tell you that. If you don’t know something that you really want to know it’s going to cause you a few headaches.

“From that point of view it’s not ideal but you have to get used to it. It’s part and parcel of football. It’s an old cliche but it’s very true.

“You have to put it to the back of your mind and focus on the important things, which are the games and the training sessions. Then hopefully the club and my agent, between the two of them, with a little input from myself can get something sorted out and we can move in the right direction.”

Martin by his own admission has felt his fitness levels improve during his time working under Paolo Di Canio, but he still feels he has more to give for the Robins’ cause.

“Performance-wise I’ve been quite happy but I think there’s more to come there as well,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve played to my full potential just yet and hopefully with more games with the team that will just snowball and I’ll keep improving.

“Obviously it’s not just the case that you keep improving but that’s the aim. With the manager here he demands it so you can’t take your foot off the pedal and I think that will be the case.

“That’s what we’ve seen in the last couple of months with the team and I feel improved fitness levels so hopefully I can reap the benefits on the pitch and maybe chip in with a few goals.”