Blackpool's latest addition discusses his move to Bloomfield Road and reveals how a ex-Seasiders loanee helped to convince him to make the move.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Obviously, I finished at Sheffield Wednesday last year and I kind of knew that there was
00:11a bit of interest from Blackpool and then yeah, things kind of accelerated through beginning
00:18of May. And then it got to, I was about to go on, yeah, sorry, I got, I got married.
00:26And then went on my honeymoon with my missus. And then, yeah, I was, the first day I come
00:31off my honeymoon, I was having my medical the day after. So, it was all kind of really
00:35fast in terms of that side of it, but I knew of the interest in trying to get the deal
00:40done. So, like I say, over the moon to get everything sorted.
00:45You mentioned George Byers, how big a part did he play in convincing you that this was
00:49the right place for you?
00:50Yeah, he played a little, a little part. Yeah, definitely. I spoke with him. I think he came
00:56back to Sheffield, I think he picked up an injury maybe two or three games before the
01:01end of the season. And I knew there was a little bit of interest. So, I quietly asked
01:06him what it was like and how the lads were and the manager obviously as well. So, he
01:12spoke really highly of the club. And yeah, in that time, I think obviously it was a bit
01:18up and down if Blackpool were getting the playoffs or not. But again, he spoke really
01:23highly of the boys and the team and the manager. And for me, it was everything I wanted to
01:29hear really.
01:30I suppose it was the sport volumes, not only the words you were saying, the kind of things
01:34you were saying, the fact that he'd only been there since January and that had such an impact
01:38on him.
01:39Exactly. And I think that's what you want to see as a football player. I think going
01:44into somewhere where probably George felt he was valued as well was obviously very important.
01:52Obviously, he got that love from the fans and from the club as well, which again, it's
02:00so easy to do for a footballer, but it can just transform someone's career back into
02:07obviously playing well and enjoying it again. So, yeah, when I spoke to him, like I say,
02:12he was so complimentary. And you can see that with, I think, the performances he put in as well.
02:18How persuasive are you? Are you going to be repeating some of the things he said to you?
02:23I spoke to him briefly the other day, to be fair. But yeah, again, people have different
02:30things. But again, I said, come and join me. It's hopefully going to be a very exciting
02:37season and I don't know what the situation was with him. But again, I just said, obviously,
02:43there's a real intent to obviously start the season well and carry on. League One's
02:48going to be really tough next year. I think that's quite clear. There's not going to be
02:53any, well, maybe two teams. But then I think from the rest, it will be really tough to
02:58pick out who's going to be fighting up there. So for me, I think obviously getting someone
03:06like George would be unbelievable to play the full season. And hopefully that would
03:13be great for me as well.
03:15Does this feel like a full circle moment for you? The fact that you came to League One
03:19as a youngster to prove yourself and now you're coming back to prove yourself all over again?
03:24Yeah, I think so. I think obviously when you plan out your football career, obviously I
03:33didn't see this. But in terms of getting back enjoying football, that's probably been
03:40the best thing for me. I wanted to come, like I say, where I was wanted and there's no better
03:45feeling than having someone who can support you and has confidence in you as a manager
03:51and stuff like that. So like I say, the manager and the recruitment staff were so clear in
03:58their vision of what they want to achieve this year and what their plans are for me.
04:03So that was just a massive coup. And yeah, I suppose you can say it's full circle, but
04:09I don't want to stay in this league for long. I want to get promoted. And like I say, the
04:16pressure will be on us. But of course, we have to deal with that. And hopefully the
04:22expectation level will be high so we can get promoted, hopefully.
04:27Can you put your finger on a reason why things haven't really gone your way in the last few
04:30years? Is there anything that stands out you think maybe that's what needs to be worked
04:34on or this is the factor that went against me?
04:38I think when I look, change of managers haven't helped me in terms of obviously I went to
04:45Wigan and I had three managers at Wigan in one season and then I went to Sheffield Wednesday
04:52and I had two managers again. So sometimes people have different opinions on myself in
04:58terms of style and stuff like that. So I get it. I understand it. Again, I think the pre-season
05:05one is a massive thing in terms of I went into the last two teams quite late in the
05:10end of pre-season. I was training alone. So not going into Watford. So from then you're
05:16kind of on the back foot really in terms of they're really not assessing you the same
05:21as maybe the lads that have been in from day one of pre-season.
05:25So for me, I think if I can get a full pre-season where I'm playing the games and obviously
05:32doing the fitness work and stuff like that, I can go into that first game the fittest
05:38I've been really in probably the last two years. And that's probably a massive thing
05:43for me in terms of starting that first game, whoever it may be.
05:47Is your message very much don't judge me in the last few years, judge me on what I do
05:50from this point going forward?
05:52Yeah, exactly that. I think it's more important to judge someone as they're leaving than it
05:58is to when they arrive kind of thing. And listen, I understand people will probably
06:03look and think, yeah, he's not hit anywhere near where he used to be and stuff like that.
06:10And that is fair. I'm really excited to kind of change people's perceptions of me.
06:17I think that's a massive joy for me and hopefully I can do that really, really quickly.
06:24But like I say, more than anything, I'm just really excited to get that love back for football
06:29and hit the ground running with Blackpool.
06:33What's your record like against Blackpool? Have you played them too many times?
06:37Do you know what? I was saying this to my dad the other day. I've only played them once
06:41in my whole career, which is crazy, really. And we, yeah, it was for Wigan we got beat.
06:49I think we got beat 1-0. I think it was, I think Jerry Yates scored towards the back
06:55end of the season. But yeah, I've only played at Bloomfield Road once.
07:02But again, something new for me as well. There's quite a few grounds as well
07:06that I've not played at this year in terms of in League One as well.
07:09So actually really excited to, well, especially to play at Bloomfield Road,
07:14but obviously to play at other grounds as well and hopefully be scoring at those grounds as well.
07:19Obviously you want to create new football memories, but when you're driving,
07:22you see the tower, there's going to be a few childhood memories as well.
07:25Yeah, definitely. Like I say, me as a family, we're from the North West.
07:31So days out, Saturday afternoons and stuff like that, going to the tower,
07:36Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Waterpark, I think it was as well.
07:39I don't know if that's still there. And even Libham St Anne's, which is lovely,
07:44like really nice place to go for the day and stuff like that.
07:48So, no, really excited to be back up in the North West, in Lancashire as well.
07:57And for me, it's just about enjoying every minute of it now.