Sam Finley relishes partnership with Jordan Rossiter but knows competition is fierce at Fleetwood Town

Starting a League One game together for the first time, the Liverpudlians excelled in the engine room against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday and Finley netted his first goal for the club just four minutes into a comprehensive 5-1 victory.

For Finley, 28, who was making his eighth Town appearance since moving on from Accrington Stanley, this could be the start of a promising partnership.

“I thoroughly enjoyed playing alongside Jordan and it’s good to see him back after being injured so long,” he said.

“I’ve played against him at Accrington and thought he was a great player, a great ball-winning midfielder.

“It was a great first league start this season for Jordan and I’m made up for him. Two Liverpool lads wrapping around and getting the ball back.”

Both know their impressive displays don’t guarantee starting places at home to Sunderland on Friday, with seasoned professionals Paul Coutts, Mark Duffy and Glenn Whelan waiting in the wings for a recall.

Finley added: “You always know that if you are in the starting 11 there will be lads coming off the bench with quality, but that can only be a good thing.

“I think the gaffer has been brilliant with his recruitment and brought some great players in just before the end of the window.

“I want to play every game but if I play 20-25 this season and Fleetwood go into the Championship, then I’ll be over the moon.

“We’ve got great strength in depth. With the lads we’ve got coming off the bench, it’s frightening.”

The two Liverpudlian midfielders who wore the jerseys against the Pilgrims can’t fail to learn from another one at Highbury – head coach Joey Barton.

Finley said: “Obviously I’d watched Joey as a player and thought he was fantastic at the top level.

“The way he talks to you and when he says that he likes little things you do – that is nice to hear from someone who has played at the level he has.

“He can take me to another level with him being a centre mid too.

“The little one-on-one sessions after training and the little chats you have, you just think, ‘Yeah, I can work on that.’”

A former Everton youth player, Finley looked destined for a non-league career until three successful seasons with AFC Fylde ended with that switch to Stanley in the summer of 2018.

This new stage of his career promises to be Finley’s most exciting yet as he added: “I was made up to learn that Fleetwood were interested because I thought it would be a perfect move for me.

“I’ve loved it here. Maybe I was a little bit off it fitness-wise when I first came in. The intensity at Fleetwood was a lot tougher than I was used to and it took me a few weeks to get used to it.

“I did double sessions most days and extra running after sessions, and I got myself up to full fitness.

“You don’t want to get too carried away but there’s a great mood in the camp, so it’s going well.”