Adam Watts eyes fresh start with Gainsborough Trinity

Adam Watts believes Gainsborough Trinity can re-ignite his passion for the game.

The former Lincoln City defender signed for the Blue Square Bet North side last Friday following a successful period training for the club.

Watts had been cast out in to the footballing wilderness over Christmas, with the Imps announcing he had been released from the club just before the Boxing Day clash against Grimsby.

It was a hard exit for the former Fulham trainee to endure, but he believes ambitious Gainsborough are getting him excited about his football again.

"It all just fizzled out with Lincoln," explained Watts.

"I had been with them for a long time, but it was time to move on."

Watts was one of former Lincoln boss Chris Sutton's first acquisitions at Sincil Bank when he took over in 2009.

Sutton signed Watts on loan from Premier League side Fulham and the defender helped shore up the City backline as the side battled against the drop.

In January 2010, Sutton made him one of his first permanent signings and he continued to star at the back.

However, his season took an abrupt end when against Grimsby in the January he broke his left leg following a challenge with Lee Peacock at Blundell Park.

Following five months of recovery, Watts was back for the first day of the following season when the Imps fell to a 2-1 defeat against Rotherham.

Despite Sutton resigning in October 2010 to be replaced by Steve Tilson, Watts remained part of the Imps' rearguard, notching 44 appearances in a season which saw the Imps relegated from the Football League.

But when Tilson was sacked last October, Watts found himself sidelined under new manager David Holdsworth.

With Watts reduced to a bit-part role, it was no surprise the club agreed a settlement with him and cancelled his contract just before new year.

"When I first arrived we had battled against relegation and we did okay," explained Watts.

"But the second season was a big disappointment.

"Personally, I was pleased to get the number of games under my belt that I did and in the end I think I played somewhere in the region of 80 matches for Lincoln.

"But in the end I think it was time for me to move on and I needed to move on.

"I wasn't in David Holdsworth's plans and in the end I was happy to move on.

"The move to Gainsborough has been good.

"I would not say I had fallen out of love with the game. However, it is good to be with a club which has a winning mentality.

"Gainsborough are a club that is on the up and wants to do positive things and I'm hungry to be part of that promotion push."

Gainsborough made a big move towards that push for promotion when they beat Blue Square Bet North leaders Hyde 2-0 at the Northolme last Saturday.

Watts had signed for the club just the day before and was thrown straight into the mix.

The defender was pushed over to right-back and spent the majority of the game trying to snuff out the threat of another former Imp, Scott Spencer.

"It was a bit interesting playing against Scott," said Watts.

"There are a lot of familiar faces and it was knowing Trinity players Shane Clarke and Paul Connor, from their time at Lincoln, that saw me link up with Gainsborough in the first place.

"I was happy playing at right-back. The manager, Steve Housham, knew I had done it a few times for Lincoln and so he asked me to go in there.

"It was a good game and we can be very happy with the win.

"The result was brilliant and it shows the ambition that is going round the club.

"Peter Swann, the chairman, has big aims for the club and it would be good if I could play my part in it."