'Excited' Covolan hopes Gulls fans focus on the Good times

FORMER Torquay United goalkeeper Lucas Covolan says he’s ‘excited’ about going back to Plainmoor for the first time since leaving in 2021 - and he’s hoping that he gets a better reception from Gulls fans than some of his other ex-teammates have received in recent seasons. (From Dave Thomas)

United are due to meet Covolan’s new club Maidstone United twice in the space of eight days – firstly in the NL South this Saturday and then the FA Cup a week later, both games at Plainmoor. Former Brazil Under-20 International Covolan, 32, joined Torquay in 2019 from Worthing, playing 55 games and also heading one show-stopping goal in the 2021 NL Play-Off Final before leaving for League Two Port Vale.

He played for Chesterfield on loan last season, but was injured when the Spireites won 5-1 in Derbyshire in April, a result which seriously damaged the Gulls’ hopes of staying up. “I had a warm welcome when we played at Worthing recently, and I hope it will be the same from the Torquay fans,” he said.

“I had a great time there, I felt so bad to see you go down, only two years after we were fighting for promotion."
“I’m excited to be going back, not once but twice after the Cup draw – that can’t have happened very often.”

Covolan, 6ft 4in tall, left Brazil in 2014 to pursue a career in Europe. After spells in Spain and in England with Whitehawk, Worthing and the Gulls, he appeared to be on an upward curve, and he says now: “I still believe I can play higher than this level, but I’m enjoying playing for Maidstone." “We’re a young side, and I’m one of the more experienced players here.
“We were giving away some silly goals at the start of the season, but we’ve stopped doing that in the last few weeks and we’ve hit some better form." “They should be two great games against Torquay, and I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the friends I still have there.”