"There's a lot more left in the tank" - Town defender Golden on his season so far and what's still to come

The full-back only made two appearances in the first two months of the season as his individual campaign made the same kind of stuttering start as The Shaymen's.

But since starting in the home win over York on October 4, neither Golden or his team-mates have looked back, winning four of their last six matches, with Golden's energy, commitment and athleticism impressing at right-back.

"It's been typical football in the fact that it can change very quickly," he said.

"I did well pre-season, started the season and then fell out of the team.

"I was on the bench for a few games, which every player in that position would say is hard because you try and do all you can, waiting for your opportunity to arise.

"And when that opportunity does arise you've got to take it.

"It's been a bit of a waiting game but fortunately, I got my chance against York and I took it.

"I've enjoyed my run and feel like I've developed and improved each game.

"It's been a positive season so far and a learning experience about how to deal with not being in the team, but also how to deal with being in the team and making sure you stay in it.

"We've got such a lot of quality in our squad and so much competition that, even if you have a bad half a game never mind a bad game or one where you're slightly off it, with the competition behind everyone and the quality in the squad, your place can be up for grabs.

"So you've got to be on it every single day and every single game."

Golden says he has learned valuable lessons from being out in the cold most of last season at Salford.

"I always want to improve, whether that's in or out of the team, I don't want to settle, I want to make sure I can get better," he said.

"If I'm honest, the season I had last year helped me in the fact that I didn't play much, I was on the bench or out of the squads at Salford a lot.

"That made me learn a lot about myself mentally and personally, just how to overcome that and how to not get fixated on it.

"I've done it before when you're in that position, it's so easy to get down and see everything negatively, and it's hard to get out of it.

"Last year prepared me for how this season was. Don't get me wrong, it's not been anything like it because last year I never got a sniff, and even when I did and played well I was straight back out of the team, no matter what.

"Whereas this year, it has given me that extra determination to make sure I stay in that team and I do everything I can to keep my shirt.

"My goal this year is to play as many games as possible.

"I've not really had that season yet where I've had 20, 30 games under my belt, which is my main aim this year."

If, as expected, Golden starts in Saturday's FA Cup tie at Ebbsfleet, it will be his seventh consecutive start for the club.

"This is probably one of my longest stints in a first-team starting 11, so I'd probably say this has been the best opportunity for me to keep striving, keep improving game-by-game," he said.

"I feel like I've done well, I feel like I'm showing my ability and what I can do to the fans and everyone watching.

"I've still got a lot more I can give, I've still got a couple of gears I can go up, and that comes with games.

"I want to keep my run going, keep improving each day in training and each game I play.

"I've been very happy with how I've played so far.

"It also comes with the lads around me in that everyone's working hard for each other.

"As a full-back, you can shine individually but you can't do that without a good team and a good core around you.

"My standards have been up there but I've still got more to prove, I can improve much more.

"I'm only 22, turning 23 next week, and I think there's a lot more left in the tank."

Golden says, like him, there is a lot more to come from the Town team as well.

"There's been a lot of new faces, including myself, lads getting to know how each other play, how people act in and around the club, just getting to know each other," he said.

"But we're starting to form those relationships and those partnerships, we're getting on the same wavelength.

"We know we should be much higher in the table, but over the last few weeks we've shown a different attitude, a different resilience to our play.

"If we'd done that from the start of the season I think we'd be much higher in the league, there's no doubt about that.

"We're doing well but we can get so much better, we know our quality and our standards.

"We've got so much more quality to prove and to show."

On Saturday's FA Cup tie, Golden said: "It's always the next game in-front of you that we've got to focus on.

"It was unfortunate that the game was called off on Tuesday because we were looking forward to the game.

"We know we need to start consistently getting wins and get that confidence that we're now having.

"Ebbsfleet's going to be a hard one, there's no easy game in the FA Cup, everyone knows the history of the competition.

"They're doing well this year so we go into that game like any other, we'll look at their weaknesses and their strengths.

"We want to have a nice run in the FA Cup, go on and on and get the biggest tie possible and play against the best players we can."

Golden was an avid watcher of the FA Cup while growing up in the US, especially when boyhood club Manchester United were involved.

"We always had it, especially as a United fan, every time they were in it we'd definitely have it on," he said.

"We'd always try and tune in when we could, it's such a prestigious competition, it's one of the best competitions outside of the league because of how many giant-killings there have been over the years, all the surprises.

"That's one of the great things about the competition because on paper, you have favourites and underdogs, but when you get on that pitch in the FA Cup, everyone's on the same ground.

"To play in the FA Cup is a massive honour."

Golden says Town need to maintain their attitude and work-rate from recent outings against the National League South side.

"It's like every game, especially what we've been showing the last few weeks, in that no matter who we play, we go on that pitch and we outrun them, we outwork them, we out-tackle them," he said.

"We are better than them out of possession, and that's been our basis for the last few weeks.

"We have to carry that on.

"I can guarantee some of the quality they'll show on Saturday won't be of a lower league club, we know that.

"But first and foremost, every single game we go out there to outwork and outrun teams, that's our basis.

"We know as long as we do that, that's the bare minimum, and we'll have the quality to create chances and take those opportunities, and hopefully come away with a win."

And if they do, The Shaymen would be one more round away from a potential dream draw for Golden.

Man United away in the third round.

"It wouldn't be a bad one!" he said. "It'd be a brilliant experience.

"If I had a choice, playing at Old Trafford against Man United would be up there. It'd be brilliant."