Graham Kavanagh on Paul Thirlwell and James Berrett
Manager Graham Kavanagh spoke to us today about the news that captain Paul Thirlwell has agreed terms on a new one-year contract which extends his stay at Brunton Park into a ninth season when the squad gets back together next week.
“I’m delighted with the news about Thir,” he said. “He brings a heck of a lot to the dressing room with his knowledge of how we work and with his experience on the pitch.
“The younger players really look up to him and I will utilise him in many different ways going forward. He’ll want to concentrate on playing and being part of the team, but there are other areas where I know he can also get involved and help us out, which won’t impact on that side of it too much.”
“I’m pleased that I don’t have to rely on him just as a player because he is coming to that stage where he’s getting a little bit older,” he continued. “That won’t make much difference to his mindset because I know what he’s like and how competitive he is. That’ll be good for all of us because it will keep everyone on their toes. He’s great to have around and I know everyone at the club will be pleased that he’s staying with us.”
And on midfielder James Berrett, he said: “I haven’t heard a thing from Bez for a while now. I’ve tried to contact him recently but I haven’t managed to get hold of him, for whatever reason.
“The last time I spoke to him I indicated that I needed to know where we were going. I was in a position where I wanted to move on other players, and that’s exactly what I did once it was clear I wasn’t getting a reply.”
“I’m pretty sure he wants to play at a higher level and I completely understand that,” he explained. “He’s been an excellent servant for this football club and he’s one of the nicest lads you could hope to meet. He’s also a very good professional in every way and I would have loved to have been able to report that he was staying.
“It doesn’t look like that will happen, unless something changes drastically, so I wish him all the best with his next move. This is football and all you can do is say thank you to him for everything he’s done for us in the past as we wish him well for the future.”
