HE'S experienced the highs and lows of trying to win promotion to the Premier League with Reading but Glen Little is delighted to be part of Wrexham’s bid to escape the Conference.
The 36-year-old, who signed a short-term deal with Wrexham last summer, has recently penned a new contract that will keep him at The Racecourse until the end of the season.
There are 16 games remaining in the quest for promotion and Little, who has played in the top flight with Bolton Wanderers, Reading and Portsmouth, still craves success.
“I am happy here,” said Little. “I said before that with the way I felt, I have always planned myself to be here for the whole season anyway.
“It’s just that you are not quite sure what it is going on behind the scenes; now everything is done and dusted, and we have had the good cup run, I am looking forward to the end of the season because it is all to play for.
“There are 16 games left. There are a lot of big games to come but they are better for me, and I will look forward to them.
“I am really enjoying it and just looking forward to the end of the season – this is where it all starts, the excitement happens.
“Hopefully in three months time, it will have gone well for us and we have finished off the season well.”
Little, who was unable to help Wrexham in their promotion challenge last season following a trial due to the club being placed under a transfer embargo, is no stranger to having something to play for going into the final months of the season.
Although he lost twice in the Championship play-offs with Reading, Little played his part in the Royals’ 106 point record breaking 2005-06 title campaign.
Reading clinched the championship crown and automatic promotion to the Premier League with a 16 point gap over second placed Sheffield United, while Little scored five goals and set up 14 – more than any over player in the league.
Wrexham are in a two-horse race for the Conference title with Fleetwood Town who they trail by two points with a game in hand but Little believes there are parallels to be drawn between the Reds and that famous Reading team.
“It has never been beaten – you would have to go some to beat that record I think,” said Little. “We lost on the opening day of the season and then went 33 games unbeaten. We were about 12-15 points clear by then, it was all over.
“We broke record after record; most wins in a row, the 33 game unbeaten run and promoted earliest – I think there were seven games to go.
“It does remind me of this season but unfortunately we have got Fleetwood who are right there with us while in the Championship, we just blew everybody away.
“But with the unbeaten run we put together here at Wrexham, and the spirit, it reminds me of what we had at Reading and hopefully we finish off the same way.
“If we do go up it will be a great achievement for everyone.”
Little failed to reach a play-off final on two occasions with Reading after finishing in the top six.
And having seen Wrexham lose a two legged semi-final against Luton Town last season, he is hoping to win automatic promotion this term to avoid the lottery of the play-offs.
“I have had the promotions but I have also had the disappointments,” said Little. “I have missed out on the play-offs by finishing seventh a few times with Burnley and Reading, so I have had the knocks there.
“We missed out on promotion in the play-offs twice at Reading and in every game, we were the better team and not even drawn or won one. I have had four matches and lost all four in the play-offs. That’s why you don’t like the play-offs, it is on the day and anything can happen. A team can just take a chance or get a break and it goes against you.
“We just want to go up and get it out of the way. If we do have to it through the play-offs then of course it is exciting for everyone. But as we saw last season, there is the heartbreak as well.
“We would rather just get it done.”
But though he would rather help Wrexham return to the Football League as champions, a part of Little would relish playing in a play-off final – as long as he finishes on the winning side.
“I have had two play-off defeats so I have never played in a play-off final,” he added. “I have had a long career and I always thought it would be nice to play at The Millennium Stadium or Wembley, but never got the chance.
“We always say everyone hates the play-offs, if you go up in them though it is obviously a great day. For me you just want to get it done and dusted. You would rather just win the league and move on.”