Exeter City's Alex Nicholls says he won't be approaching the game against Northampton Town this Saturday any differently despite only being released by the Midlands club this week.
Nicholls, who has been on loan at St James's Park since late November, signed an 18-month contract with the Grecians on Tuesday, having been told he was surplus to requirements at Sixfields. The striker says that other than not celebrating any goal he scores, Saturday's match will be just like any other.
"It will be nice to catch up with a few old faces when they come to St James's Park, but allegiances only go so far in football and if I do play I will be looking to get the win over them," said Nicholls.
"I don't necessarily want to win the game more. I want to win every game I play in, so I won't approach it any differently."
The deal to tie down Nicholls to an 18-month stay was one of two to go through at St James's Park on Tuesday, with David Noble also putting pen to paper on a contract, having been on loan from Oldham Athletic.
Midfielder Ryan Harley is also expected to join City before Saturday's game, with the paperwork to make his loan from Swindon Town into a permanent signing currently with the Football League.
Clinton Morrison, who is playing on a non-contract basis, will also be eligible to feature this weekend as talks between him and manager Paul Tisdale continue over a new deal.
Noble has missed the last four games for the Grecians as his emergency loan ran out prior to the game against Stevenage on December 20.
City have lost three matches since then, including a 2-1 defeat to Accrington Stanley last time out, and Nicholls said they are missing the influential midfielder from the side.
"He is a massive part of how we want to play," said Nicholls. "He will put his foot on the ball and get us playing and we missed that against Accrington.
"We have just got to draw a line under it now, we have got a big game on Saturday against Northampton and we will be looking for the three points then."
City conceded an injury-time goal against Stanley to lose a match that they had been in control of for the first hour.
Nicholls admitted the defeat was had to take, but drew on some positives from their recent performances.
"When you concede so late it's hard and we are bitterly disappointed, but you have to give them credit." he said.
"They looked dangerous at times going forward and it is one of those things.
"We are looking back at the last few games and, if you take Wimbledon out of it, against Stevenage and Accrington we feel we should be coming away with the points really.
"I think we were good value for the 1-0 lead at half-time on Saturday. We could have gone in two or three up with one or two things in the first half and we felt we had control of the game.
"If we had come out and got an early goal in the second half, I think the game would have been put to bed there and then.
"It is just those fine margins, but we are still there or thereabouts in the pack and if we can put some back-to-back wins together we will get right back in there."
