Captain back is big positive for Burton

BURTON Albion have been handed a timely boost with the return to training of captain Udoka Godwin-Malife.

- By DAN NEWBOULD

Brewers' captain Akins has returned to training with Burton after injury. Pic: Richard Burley/ Epic Action Imagery

(Richard Burley/ Epic Action Imagery)

Known as Dokes, the popular player has been a miss on and off the pitch since coming off against Leyton Orient last year but is back on the grass, as is JJ McKiernan, while Seb Revan is getting closer to a return.

Ahead of today’s FA Cup trip to Boreham Wood, manager Gary Bowyer told his pre match press conference: “Dokes joined back in on Thursday. We've missed him. I look at him in terms of the progress that he’s made, he’s been magnificent again because at the start of the season we gave him the captain's armband following in the footsteps of obviously Ryan Sweeney who did an unbelievable job for us and I think he probably felt that at the start.

“We were looking at his performances linked in with that but he’s really grown into that role now. The injury was a freak one, the way it happened. It’s been six weeks and he’s worked unbelievably in the gym and away from here to get himself back that quickly and just having him back in training has lifted the standards, the noise and the energy so we're delighted that he’s back in the fold now.