Joseph Mills ticked every box and more with Forest Green Rovers last season – his first with the League Two club.

He helped the club reach the end-of-season promotion play-offs while firmly establishing himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the division.

The 29-year-old also ended the season as manager Mark Cooper’s choice as captain so it’s fair to say that 2018/19 was a pretty good campaign for a player who had spent the previous two years playing more than 9,000 miles away in Australia.

He played 44 games for Perth Glory – the same number as he played for Forest Green last season – and while he quickly adapted to the A-League Down Under, he just as quickly readjusted to the cut and thrust of full time football in this country as well.

That’s the sign of a good player, of course, and Mills said: “On a personal level it was good to play so many games last season and I was delighted to get the chance to captain the side.”

And the captain’s armband is something the one-time Southampton and Reading player would be happy take on again this season if asked.

“I think I can bring something to the team with the experience I have got,” he said, “but whether I’m captain or not I’m still the same player.”

And while last season ultimately ended in disappointment – they missed out on Wembley after losing 2-1 to Tranmere on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals – Mills is convinced there will be no ‘hangover’ when they get their 2019/20 campaign under way at home to Oldham Athletic on Saturday 3rd August.

“It was good to reach the play-offs and although it was gutting at the time to lose it was a big achievement to get there,” said Mills.

Indeed it was because the go-ahead club finished the season in fifth place, just five points off an automatic promotion spot and a dramatic 27 points and 16 places better off than the previous season, their first in the Football League.

“If there is a downside to what we achieved last season, then it’s that some of the players get put in the shop window,” continued Mills. “We’ve lost a couple of last season’s squad but we’ve also signed a few as well.

“The recruitment before last season was so good, you just have to trust the process. We’ve got good players coming in and we just need to learn the lessons from last season.”

So where do they need to improve?

“We started off last season very well,” said Mills. “We were undefeated for a long time but we drew quite a lot of games and quite a few of those we could have won.

“We were ahead in quite a lot of games and we let leads slip. Maybe we have to be a bit more streetwise and be a bit more clinical to see out games.

“If we can manage that better we should do well.”

Mills believes that the play-offs are again a realistic aim.

“If we don’t target that then we are selling ourselves short,” he insisted. “After last season the expectations have gone up but we know what we want as a squad.

“The play-offs are the target but if the automatic promotion places are within reach at the midway point then we can reassess.”

And for all the glory that comes with a Wembley play-off final win, Mills has been around the game long enough to know that winning promotion automatically is the best way to go up.

“It’s a lot more stress-free,” he said. “Okay, so you haven’t got the euphoria of a play-off final win at Wembley, but if you win promotion automatically it’s all boxed off, it’s a great way to end the season.”

Mills is spot on of course although he knows it is a lot easier said than done.

“We’ve got to build on last season,” he said, “there are some very good teams in this division.”