JOSH Vickers has vowed to make a big mark at Concord Rangers this season and has backed the club to achieve more success this year.

The 18-year old goalkeeper joined on loan from Premier League giants Arsenal last week and has made an instant impression at the Beachboys.

The young stopper, who lives in Noak Bridge and went to Billericay High School, made a name for himself last season, when he excelled in his loan spell at Concord’s near rivals Canvey Island.

Vickers will make his debut when Concord host Conference South leaders Boreham Wood on Saturday, although he was set to make his debut last Saturday in the FA Cup First Round at Mansfield.

But that match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and Vickers said he was frustrated not to be pulling on the Concord jersey for the first time that day.

“I was really looking forward to making my debut for Concord,” said the goalkeeper. “I had only joined Thursday night so to be thrown into such a big game straight away was a challenge I was excited about.

“So to get all the way up there only to find out the game had been called off was really frustrating. But we genuinely head back there on Tuesday (November 18) believing we can cause an upset.

“There is no point going up there and not believing otherwise we will get beaten.”

Vickers sat at the back of the team bus on the way home and, despite the disappointment of the game being called off, he says the spirit among the group is fantastic, with songs sung all the way back to Essex.

“The team spirit here is brilliant. There is such a positive vibe around the club and there is a real sense the club can achieve things this year.

“I got a few texts from the guys over at Canvey,” he laughed, “and there was some banter with Brad Wellmen (a coach at Canvey). But I haven’t got a bad word to say about them.”

Vickers says the most important aspect of his time at Concord is game time and the keeper, who signed a professional contract with his boyhood club in July, thinks the style of football in the Conference South will stand him in good stead when he returns to Arsenal.

“I just need to be playing games. I didn’t think about the rivalry between Concord and Canvey, I just knew I had to be playing and I will get that chance at Concord.”

“You can only get a certain amount of competitive football so coming to Concord is a chance for me to get a different style of football under my belt that maybe I wouldn’t have got at Arsenal.

“I am improving so much at Arsenal. I get the best possible training and I can’t ask for anything more than that. I am given really good support by the coaches and players and have trained with the first team squad a few times this year.

“I had a great season last year and this year is about pushing on again. You need to take your chances at a club like Arsenal and my main aim is to get into the first team.

“Hopefully I can make the right steps at Concord and achieve that,” he added