Gary Liddle was up early this morning to get a first glimpse at the Club's fixtures for the upcoming 2010/11 season.

And, although the defender is suspended for the opening fixture, he is excited for the campaign to kick off,

"Rochdale will be a tough side to play, they are going to be full of confidence having just been promoted.

"The start of the season is as exciting for the players as it is for the fans, it should be a good start.

"Obviously I am missing the first game so with a bit of luck my first game will be the Cup game with Sheffield United so that is another thing to look forward to.

"The Huddersfield Town game on Boxing Day is another fixture everyone looks forward to and that should be a good trip for the fans and hopefully we'll take a good following there.

"Christmas is an important period with a lot of games all in a short space of time, it is similar to Easter. It is important to pick up the points because it goes a long way to decide how your season is going to go.

"Ever since I have been here, there always seems to be something to play for on the last day of the season and we've got a tricky one there with Charlton away.

"But hopefully we will be pushing at the top end of the table and hopefully we can achieve something similar to Swindon this season."

And Liddle admits that this morning's fixture release has upped the anticipation levels ahead of the season,

"It is the start of the excitement for me, as soon as you see the fixtures, you look for the big teams and when you will be playing them.

"With the big stadiums in our league now, it is definitely going to be an exciting season.

"Anything can happen in the league though, Swindon proved that last season - and we went to Swindon last season and won 2-0.

"It is all about consistency, if you can get a bit of consistency and pick up a few more points then you can surprise a few people.

"There is no pressure on us, we just need to go out to win as many games as possible and hopefully we will pull off a little surprise."

The former Middlesbrough man has enjoyed his holiday break and admits the rest was needed but now is looking forward to getting back into action,

"It has been good, after a long ten-month season, it is always nice to have the time off to recharge the batteries.

"But I am looking forward to getting back now, not so much looking forward to running round the track but I am looking forward to getting the seasons started again and getting things underway."

And Liddle has spent some of his time watching the World Cup, with a special interest in one team,

"I've caught most of the games so far, I just hope we don't have to play with that ball.

"I have got a little wager on Argentina so I am hoping they pull off a little surprise!"