Former Derry City winger Josh Daniels playing in one of Europe's most dominant teams

​Ex-Glenavon man Josh Daniels signed for the Welsh champions at the start of this season after being released by Sky Bet League One outfit Shrewsbury Town and has helped his new team amass a quite stunning statistical record.

TNS are unbeaten through 23 matches in the 22/23 Cymru Premier campaign, winning 20 and drawing three while scoring a remarkable 86 goals in the process.

In the past couple of months there has been an 11-0 victory over Aberystwyth, 7-0 and 8-0 thrashings of Airbus in the span of five days and their last league game ended in an 8-1 success against Flint - a rare goal conceded (they’ve only leaked nine).

"In my career with Derry, Glenavon and Shrewsbury, I was never really in a team that was competing for leagues,” said Daniels. "It's brilliant being in this team.

"Technically, it's probably one of the best teams I've played for in terms of keeping possession and dominating games.

"Our manager, Craig Harrison, has been making sure the standards don't drop in the games. Even if we're winning three or 4-0 at half-time, we're going for the jugular and he wants us to go out and win 10-0!

"There are times when we are winning and doing well and he's saying we need more from you. He has instilled that mentality into us and that keeps us going.

"It would be nice to win some silverware because that's the only thing that has been missing in my career so far."

Not only has Daniels had a change of club, but also a drastic positional adjustment, swapping the left-wing for a spot at right-back.

Used to marauding attacking runs and creating goals, the 26-year-old has had to curb his natural instincts, but playing for a team like TNS still gives him plenty of creative licence.

“With TNS I played the first few games on the right wing but we had a few injuries at right-back and the manager knew I could do a job there,” he added.

"We are going out and being so dominant but at times as well I'm thinking as a winger that I could be getting a few goals here! All my mates back home are probably wondering why I'm not scoring goals and I'm stuck in defence!

“I still want to be a winger because I think it's my best and most natural position and where I get the best out of myself, but because we do so well and are so dominant in the league, I've basically been like a winger anyway with a little bit more tracking back to do. It has definitely been a transition."

It has been a busy time for Daniels off the pitch too, welcoming his second daughter to the world 16 weeks ago.

The move to TNS, who once had Daniels’ former Candystripes team-mate Gerard Doherty in nets at the club for six years from 2001, allowed the former Top of the Hill youngster to live in the same house as when playing for Shrewsbury while his oldest daughter can still attend school nearby.

Daniels had offers from all over the UK and Ireland when he became a free agent, but his family were at the forefront of his mind during the decision-making process and staying in Shrewsbury seemed like the perfect idea.

"I had a few League Two offers, few National League offers and a few others in the Irish Premiership and from League of Ireland clubs,” he said. “There was one club in Scotland too.

"We were expecting our second daughter so it was at a time where I wanted to be close and not go through the stress of getting up and going because it was stressful enough when we had one baby.

"It was just about playing again and wherever I did that was going to be close.”

When, not if, TNS win their 16th league crown, Daniels will get another crack at qualifying for a major European club competition.

They came within seconds of beating Linfield in July before Jamie Mulgrew’s 94th-minute strike sent the Champions League first round qualifier to extra-time at Windsor Park and Ethan Devine secured a 2-1 aggregate win for the Blues, much to Daniels disappointment.

"If we go on now and win the league, which it looks like we will, we want to get back into Europe and give that a better go because last year Linfield put us out and we wanted to give it a better go than we did,” he said.

"Europe is a totally different test. You're not going to be the dominant side all the time."