By Ian Gordon
Anthony Pilkington is not so much the Fox in the Box as the Fox on the Box.
The Cardiff City midfielder has revealed how hours spent in front of the television has played a crucial part in his successful switch to the striker role.
Pilkington has been watching Premier League hot-shots like Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy after being asked to move up front by manager Russell Slade.
It is certainly working with Pilkington scoring five goals in his last seven games to make him the Bluebirds top scorer with eight this season.
The 27-year-old said: “I find myself watching the Premier League now and looking how the strikers move and trying to pick little bits up off them boys.
“Whenever there is a game on, I try to watch the strikers because I am learning a new position.
“I have played on the wing for most of my career. But like anything in life you have to learn different roles.
“I used to play upfront when I was young and in non-league too and scored a lot of goals and now I am trying how to remember how to do it.
“I am always happy to go out there and pull a shirt on. That’s all I ever wanted to do as a kid, so whatever that is, centre forward, centre half, right back, left back, it doesn’t matter.
“I am always going to work hard for the team.
“It’s a different game playing up front to playing on the wing. You’ve got to try and be a lot more aggressive and make different kind of runs.
“And you have to compete a lot more. You have got centre halves who try and come through the back of you.”
Pilkington’s penalty double against Preston last weekend helped City to a 2-1 win and moved them within three points of the play-offs ahead of Saturday’s derby at Bristol City.
“Had Preston beaten us, they would have gone above us so it was a massive win,” added Pilkington.
“I think there are a couple of places up for grabs in the play-offs and it’s going to go right to the wire but hopefully we can pick up enough points between to get in there.”
So successful has been his switch to a striker role Slade is convinced Pilkington could spend the rest of his career there.
But Pilks added: “We will have to see how the future goes. The goals are coming and that’s what’s important.”
