Insall hoping to make his mark after returning from ban

Jamie Insall, the former Hibernian striker banned from football for two years, is looking to make his mark on the European stage as his new club Connah's Quay Nomads prepare to take on Kilmarnock in the Europa League.

The Kidderminster Harriers youth product signed the Hibernian in 2015 after excelling in English non-league, and enjoyed two loan spells with East Fife, scoring a hatful of goals and becoming Scottish League One player of the month in September 2016. But he was released as a result of the ban with his promising career in tatters.

He kept himself busy during the two year lay off by participating in bare-knuckle boxing, the only sport he was allowed to compete in under the ban. His experienced opponent broke his nose, but Insall hasn't let it get him down with a return to football just around the corner.

Craig Harrison, former manager of Welsh champions TNS, had his eye on Insall for some time. After taking a coaching role at Connah's Quay, he jumped at the chance to bring the hotshot on board as soon as his ban was up. Insall was delighted to get back into the game, the chance to play in Europe and train full time coming as something of a blessing after a long period out of the game.

The club are set for a tough doubleheader in the Europa League first qualifying round, facing off against Kilmarnock who finished 3rd in last season's Scottish Premier League, just behind Old Firm giants Celtic and Rangers. The first leg will take place in Wales at Belle Vue on July 7th, the home of Rhyl FC, while the second leg is to be held a week later at Kilmarnock's 18,000 capacity Rugby Park.

It's a tough challenge for Connah's Quay, a club who play their league games in a rented 500 seat stadium in front a few hundred people. They operate with a budget dwarfed by the resources available to a club like Kilmarnock. But Insall is bullish about his new club's chances, saying that "anything can happen in football. It definitely won't be as easy for Kilmarnock as they think."

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Perhaps Insall is right to feel the Nomads could pull off an upset. They've beaten the odds before, both in the Europa League and against other big Scottish teams. And Insall feels he has what it takes to cause problems against Kilmarnock.

"I scored at every level I played in while in Scotland," he points out. "League 2, League 1, as well as the Scottish reserve league. If I'd had the opportunity to play in the Championship and Premiership, I see no reason why that wouldn't have continued."

There's no denying Connah's Quay are a much smaller club than Hibernian, where Insall last played. But the forward said he was "pleasantly surprised with the club's set up, and the way the players have welcomed me."

The Nomads have recently adopted a full-time model and are led by former Manchester City captain Andy Morrison, who Insall says, "loves a player who gives 100%". Insall is just the kind of player Morrison prizes, a man who admits to having a reputation of something of a loose cannon as a youngster, but insists he has mellowed with age. Still, he says he retains the "fire inside", driving him on to succeed.

Insall was able to feature in the last three games of the 2018/19 season, gaining much-needed match practice and reducing his body fat by 3%. He's already taken part in two pre-season friendlies and is set to travel to Cork in Ireland with the rest of the Nomads squad to take on Scottish Premier League outfit Aberdeen in another warm-up game. It will surely be a tough game for the Welsh side, but perfect preparation for the big games against Kilmarnock.

Insall will travel to Kilmarnock's Rugby Park with his new team

But Europe isn't the only important competition for Insall and his new side. In the league, the Nomads face the tough task of trying to dethrone TNS, a team who have won the Welsh Premier League for the past eight consecutive seasons. Last season, the Nomads pushed TNS harder than they ever had before, finishing in second place12 points behind the reigning champions.

At times, the Nomads seemed to lack firepower the last term, but Insall believes he could be the man to inspire change in the coming season.

"I want to score 20 goals this season," Insall says, admitting this may be seen as a big ask, but also stating he has confidence in anything he does in life.

If Connah's Quay manage to pull off a result against Kilmarnock, TNS and the rest of the Welsh Premier League will certainly have to sit up and take notice. And if Insall puts in a good performance in Scotland, he will have proved a point and shown any doubters he may have that his professional career is well and truly back on track.