GARY ELPHICK labelled York City’s start to the season as ‘fantastic’ and reflected on the journey the club has taken since his and Adam Hinshelwood’s arrival in February.

Hinshelwood and his coaching staff first arrived into York at the back end of February, with City concerningly lingering on the edge of the relegation zone following the sacking of former boss Neal Ardley.

The Minstermen managed to divert their position away from the bottom four, and have gone from strength to strength, starting this season with just one defeat in their opening 13 matches.

Elphick has been enjoying the York performances so far, particularly the defensive aspects of his squad, and spoke on his tight-knit relationship with Hinshelwood.

“I think it’s been fantastic, to be brutally honest,” Elphick told the Press.

“When we first came in here it was a relegation battle, but since everything has gone up.

“The standards, the players, the way the team has been playing.

“I know we’ll get little murmurs about goals being scored and things like that, but the biggest thing for me was that the opposition treat us with a lot more respect now.

“They sit in a deep block, it’s harder for us to prize teams open now and especially at home.

“For me, that is all a positive and it will make us stronger as coaching staff to deal with these problems as well. I’m really content with what we’ve done, but knowing Adam and knowing the coaching staff, we will want to kick on.

“We’ll break down barriers and keep striving, that’s a massive part of us and who we are as human beings.

“I think that reflects within the team.

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“I’ve known Adam for a long time, we were in the Brighton youth teams together and we’re friends off-of-the-pitch.

“I’ll always give him my honest opinion, which I think he respects, and I think we’re a good fold together.

“Especially with Cam Morrison [first-team coach] and what he does at the club.

“We’re grafters, I didn’t have a great career and Adam obviously had his cut short due to injury.

“That makes us want to strive more as coaching staff, to produce good football and winning teams, that is where we are aligned.”

Elphick, who played for the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Eastleigh and Havant & Waterlooville during his playing career, focuses on the defensive improvements during training sessions, allowing Hinshelwood to work on his tactics.

As a former defender himself, Elphick takes great pride in City’s run of clean sheets so far this campaign, keeping eight from 13, and credited the work of Joe Stead, York’s goalkeeping coach, for his aid in ensuring the Minstermen keep out attacking danger in matches.

Elphick explained: “I’m a lot to do with the defence, out of possession.

“Obviously we didn’t have the best goal record at Worthing, which is something that always used to hurt me a little bit when dealing with the back four.

“You get different types of characters and different athletes in this league, thankfully, touch wood, we have kept a lot of clean sheets.

“It has been brilliant working with our defenders at the club.

“I’m more defensive, if you’d like, and Adam is tactically on point.

“I learn from him everyday and he is the best coach that I have ever worked with. I know him, we want to keep striving and getting better and better.

Gary Elphick has credited the performance of his fellow York City coaching staff. (Image: Tom Poole) “It’s something I take great pride in, Joe Stead as well, we’ve got two fantastic goalkeepers at the club and he drives brilliant standards in training as well.

“I love it, what I used to play for was clean sheets and obviously with my brother, a defender, it’s in our blood to keep clean sheets and defend.

“With these guys, your Callum Howe’s, Malachi [Fagan-Walcott], people like that, they are brilliant on the ball but will put their body on the line as well.

“For me, it is fantastic to see.”

Whilst Hinshelwood has the opportunity to speak to his son, Jack, on the tactics being imposed at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, Elphick shares a similar connection with another Premier League club.

Tommy Elphick, brother of Gary, is currently an assistant coach at AFC Bournemouth in the top flight, and often lends advice to his older brother to help improve York.

“We speak most days, during my eight weeks off during the Summer I am always picking his brain.

“There are different techniques, he’s had a great career and picks up things from [Andoni] Iraola [AFC Bournemouth manager], Adam picks up things from Jack as well from Brighton.

“We’d be stupid not to look into it and try to benefit ourselves.

“It has, it has definitely benefitted us in ways this year, which is brilliant.”