Wells: Achievements still sinking in

There’s no place like home — and Nahki Wells says his achievements last season have only really sunk in after being back in Bermuda.

Two Wembley appearances — the Capital One Cup final and the victorious League Two playoff final win in which he scored — plus a total of 26 goals have put the 23-year-old on the football map.

And while his reputation has grown in the UK, for Bermudians it is a rare treat to see one of their own making waves on the big stage, with Wells following in the footsteps of a select few like Clyde Best, Shaun Goater and Kyle Lightbourne. The 23-year-old admits life back on the island  is a little different for him now.

“There’s nothing better than coming home,” he told the Bermuda Sun. “Things have changed a little, people are recognizing me, everyone’s been giving me their best wishes, giving me things and taking care of me, so I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation.

“I intended to go up to the England C v Bermuda match to watch the game but there were too many people and they were all congratulating me. By the time I sat down I had missed the first 25 minutes!”

He added: “As the days go on I think it sinks in even more what a great accomplishment it was and what we [at Bradford] did – and I think that’s to do with the congratulations and the best wishes.

“There have been people who have no idea about football realizing what I have done. It’s amazing and I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when I go back to Bradford as well.

“I’m not going to be able to walk anywhere because what we achieved meant so much to them and I was such a vital part of it. They are going to be on me and congratulating me because after the final I left and they haven’t seen me – so that’s what I expect. It just makes me want to do it all again.”

While his time in Bermuda has been spent relaxing and catching up with friends and family, Wells is not totally switching off.

He’s been hitting the  gym to make sure he’s in good condition when pre-season starts — and if any potential move does happen over the coming weeks.

He said: “I came back after vacation and for the first two weeks we were supposed to do nothing and we were supposed to get into everything slowly but once I got back here I got into the gym because I thought it was important to get a routine going now to carry on through the season. It’s so difficult  when you have so many games and you can’t go and physically push yourself in the gym because it can affect you on a Saturday.”

He added: “It’s proven that my ability and speed was good enough, at least for League Two, but as you progress everyone around you gets better and everyone around you becomes faster and there are smarter players.

“So I think that’s [strength] one element of my game that can help me push on so, as much as it hurts everyone to put in that sort of work in the gym, I think it’s important because, for me, I’ll do whatever it takes to get the next level.”