New arrival Kevin Wright on what he wants from his move to Carlisle
We caught up with attacking full back Kevin Wright to get his thoughts on his move up to Cumbria having recently left his boyhood club Chelsea.“It’s very exciting for me because it’s been quite a long journey since I left Chelsea,” he said. “I’m already in love with the club and the fans, so I think it’s going to be good.
“Obviously I was with Chelsea for a long time so it was quite upsetting to leave. It’s been a big part of my life since a very young age, but I have to be honest and say I was ready to make the next step. My goal is to be pushing to play first team football regularly and I knew I had to move to do that.”
“Getting a professional contract with them is something I’ll always be proud of,” he commented. “It’s a club where so many people come in, trial or stay a short while and then leave, so it felt like a very big achievement to get a contract when there were so many players to choose from.
“The time has come for me to move on and this club felt right from the first moment. I’d been told that Carlisle had watched me a few times and I was invited up to play in a friendly against Oldham. I did well in that so I was invited back up again.
“I’ve been training ever since and the atmosphere at the games I’ve watched has been superb. I like the way the fans support the team. I like the style of play and working with the manager has been really good. I get on well with him and I think that’s important.
“He knows I haven’t really played first team football so he just wants me to show in games what I’ve been showing him in training. He’s told me to prove I can do it in men’s football and I think I’ll be fine at the end of the month if I’ve done that. Fitness wise I just need pitch time, because otherwise I’m ready to go.”
“It goes without saying that the short term aim is to earn another contract in January,” he said. “A month is a short time but it’s a long enough period for me to prove myself and show what I’m made of.
“There’s a long way to go but it would be great to be part of a promotion push with this club. The players have made me feel really welcome so this does feel like the perfect club for me. I had a few chats with my family and my agent about what my best option would be and we all agreed that this was it. It was always going to come down to doing whatever was best for my football and my career. I’m very happy with the decision I’ve made.
“The city is a bit different to London but I’m starting to like it a lot. It’s quieter, but that means I can focus completely on my football. It’s also five hours from home, so I won’t be going back down much. That means I’ll be able to give everything to the team.”
On what the fans can expect to see, he said: “I’d say I’m an attack-minded full back. I can play at left midfield as well and I like to jiggle past people whenever I can. I’m good at one-on-one defending so I hope to be able to do any job the manager asks me to do.
“It’s going to be a challenge to make the step up from U21s to first team football, but I really do think this is the right place for me to make that step. I’m more than up for it and hopefully I’ll do well.
“You can feel the intensity level is completely different because you know that every game really matters. That does add pressure, but it’s good pressure as far as I’m concerned. It’s going to push me on to do better and that’s exactly what I need.”
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