Darlington's new midfielder Stuart Elliott is looking forward to playing regular first team football at Feethams, after making his eighth debut in his League career.

Elliott, who is 23 at the end of this month, signed for Quakers a month ago from Newcastle, and showed his potential when Quakers won the Minster Carpets Cup at Scarborough, and again in the 1-1 draw at Rochdale in the opening game of the season last Saturday.

However, apart from loan spells around the country at places as far apart as Gillingham and Hartlepool, he hasn't played much first team football.

In fact,he never figured in Newcastle's first team, while he has made 31 appearances at seven other clubs whilst on loan.

"It will be a big change for me," he said. "Reserve team football is a good standard, but a defeat didn't mean so much.

"You just looked forward to the next game. But first team football is life or death because so much depends on the results, and that's what I want to be involved in.

"It was great being involved in games while I was out on loan from Newcastle, because there was plenty at stake."

Elliott played centre midfield alongside Martin Gray in at Scarborough and Rochdale and admits that he prefers that position.

"When I was at Newcastle, I played in a variety of positions - at right back, in the middle of defence and in centre midfield.

"When I had talks with the previous manager, David Hodgson, he asked me which position I prefered to play in, and I said centre midfield. When we were on tour in the Isle of Man, I started at right-back, but then finished in midfield.

"I prefer to play there, because I'm more involved in the game. When we played at Scarborough, Gary Bennett decided to leave me there."

Elliott is a Cockney, who decided to take a chance on a move North when he was rejected by Arsenal.

"I was at Arsenal from the age of ten until I was fifteen," he said.

"Arsenal said they weren't interested in me any more, but a Newcastle scout saw me playing for Middlesex boys, and asked me to go up there.

"I went to St James' Park for a week, and it was all done and dusted pretty quickly. I played in the same team as Steve Watson, Robbie Elliott and Alun Armstrong."

But he never progressed to the senior side, and instead has been on loan all over the country, without anything permanent.

But now he has the opportunity to establish himself at Darlington.

"Everybody's confidence was lifted by the games at Scarborough and Rochdale.

"It was a bit of a frustrating start, because they tried to spoil the game. We felt that we should have had all the points on Saturday, and the lads were all disappointed.