Dan Sparkes: “I feel like I’ve come back this season in a better frame of mind”

The 27-year-old wrote his name on the scoresheet as the Bees drew 1-1 in their first game back on home soil.

It topped off a great week for Sparkes after he grabbed three assists against Berkhamsted on Tuesday night and the midfielder feels everything is falling into place:

 “I felt good. I want to get goals, I want to get assists, I want to play every game”, he said. “I feel like I’ve come back this season in a better frame of mind, better work ethic and I think it’s showing.”

“I already feel fitter than I was last year and I think it’s showing.

“I’m trying to get assists, I’m trying to get goals and on a personal note, It’s coming together well but I think as a team, we’re looking very good.”

Antonis Vasiliou is also enjoying a positive pre-season after signing his first professional contract last month. The youngster assisted Sparkes for the goal yesterday and the latter was full of praise for the academy graduate:

“He’s a great, young lad. I mean, all the young lads who are training with us are top quality. They’ve got a good future, Antonis in particular, he’s doing very well.

“He’s showing glimpses of what he’s capable of. He’s very young and I think he’s thriving the opportunity and it’s showing in his performances.”

The Bees were dealt a late blow when Wycombe struck a late equaliser courtesy of a trialist but Sparkes felt the result didn’t reflect the team’s performance:

“We’re disappointed with the goal and the result. I know it’s pre-season but we want to win every game we play.

“It was disappointing to concede but I thought we played well. They’re two leagues above us and to be honest, we dominated possession, we dominated chances and if a neutral looked, I think they’d say we were the League One side.

“Pre-season is coming together nicely, it’s early days still but you can see what we’re trying to do. All the lads are on it, we look very fit already, we’re working really hard in training and I think it’s showing and against a League One side, I think that was a positive display.”