Rochdale fans are delighted to see their own version of the ‘Incredible Hulk’ bounce back to his best after manager Keith Hill had revealed that January transfer speculation surrounding Scott Hogan had affected his star striker.
Hogan, a former fans’ player of the month, endured a barren month during the transfer window when he was linked with a move to Peterborough, amongst other possible destinations. His form dipped and the goals dried up, but he’s right on top of his game once more.
A stunning 16-minute, second half hat-trick against Wimbledon – his first goals of 2014 - announced a return to his devastating best and he was also on target against Morecambe before claiming the second treble of his career against Oxford on the first day of this month.
The 21-year-old has now plundered 17 league goals to keep Rochdale firmly in the hunt for automatic promotion, and manager Hill couldn’t be happier. Neither could the player himself as Hill revealed: “He was happy when the window closed.
“He's happy nobody's hassling and he's happy to be playing football. That's what he wanted to do for Rochdale and score as many goals as he possibly can.
"I've been very frustrated because one of my key players hasn't been able to play because of the pressure he's been put under. His head hasn't been in the right place but, as you could see on Saturday, he's playing happy."
Source: DSG
