Tendayi Darikwa is embracing the opportunity for him and his City team-mates to test themselves at Sky Bet Championship level as the Imps prepare to begin their 2026/27 campaign.
After an unforgettable season which saw City win the Sky Bet League One title with 103 points, the focus has now shifted to the challenge of competing in the second tier.
The Riverside Stadium is the first destination for Saturday’s opening fixture against Middlesbrough, Darikwa says the squad are ready to get going.
He said: “We’re really excited.
“It was an unbelievable season last season, but that’s all behind us now.
“We’ve worked hard in pre-season since we’ve come back in. There have been some changes over the summer as well, but we’re just really excited to get going against Middlesbrough.
“Hopefully, we can put in a big performance.”
The step up to the Championship will bring a new challenge for a number of players within the squad, but Darikwa believes there is no reason for City to approach it with anything other than confidence.
He explained: “We’ve earned the right to be here.
“We believe in ourselves. We’ve got a massive belief in our football club and our squad.
“We know that when we perform, we can beat anybody on our day.”
The defender believes that experience, combined with the mentality which helped City achieve promotion last season, will stand the Imps in good stead.
He continued: “I think there’s a lot of younger players who haven’t been to this level, but we’ve shown over the years since I’ve been here that we can go to any ground in the country and perform against anybody.
“So it’s about sticking to our beliefs and our process as a team and hopefully delivering on the plan which we’re given on the day.”
