New signing Adam Buxton says that he isn’t at the Reds to make up the numbers during his loan spell.

The defender signed from Wigan for a month on Saturday morning with Nicky Hunt’s suspension meaning that he had to debut later that afternoon against Chesterfield.

The right back put in an impressive performance against the league leaders and wants to be a first-team regular, even when Hunt’s ban ends.

“Nicky’s a great player but hopefully I can take my chance and keep my place in the team,” he said.

“I’ve got two games and hopefully I’ve done enough in the first game but I need to keep going and kick on from that.”

The rough-and-tumble of League Two was an eye-opener for Buxton, who had previously only made one senior appearance in football, with his full debut curtailed after 72 minutes because of cramp.

“I had to come off. I took a free-kick and tried to knock it long but my calf cramped up and the gaffer could tell by the way I was running that I wasn’t right!” he laughed.

“Nothing compares to it. I hadn’t trained for four weeks so to be thrown straight in on Saturday was tough. I started getting cramp in the first half but I got through it and it’s brilliant to be playing league football.”

Despite the positive first impressions, the loanee insists that he cannot get ahead of himself if he is to become the first-choice right back over the course of the next month.

“I’m just going to take every game as it comes,” he said. “There are nine games in the next month and hopefully I can do my best for the team in those nine games in that month.

“There are so many games crammed into this month but I’m not complaining because it’s exactly what I want: I want to be playing first-team football and games under my belt. I can’t ask for much more than that.

“Every game you get better, stronger and more match-fit. You have to use the games to get fit rather than training.”

The flurry of matches in the next month begins tonight with a home clash against Hartlepool and the 21-year old is hopeful that the Chesterfield result can send the Reds on a run.

“In this league, anything can happen – I saw that on Saturday! There’s a great set of lads here and they’re determined to climb that table,” he said

“The spirit is high in the changing room and three points can see you climb six or seven places; it’s crazy really but hopefully we can carry on winning.”