New striker Shaun Miller on his move to Brunton Park
New signing Shaun Miller spoke about looking forward to the challenge ahead shortly after putting pen-to-paper on his two-year deal.
“It’s obviously really pleasing to get this done before pre-season starts,” he confirmed. “It means I can completely focus on the job I have to do with Carlisle without having to worry about what might happen.
“The good thing about it all is that it’s been a pretty easy decision for me to make. I was in a position where I was speaking to a few other clubs, but everything Keith Curle had to say about the club and where he wants it to go seemed to fit with the type of place I want to be at.
“It very quickly felt like the right move to make. I’ve been up and had a look round and it feels like it’s a club which is ready to go places. I just want to get started with it all now.”
“In terms of getting it all done, it did seem to happen quite quickly,” he explained. “After I had that chat with the manager it was clear we all wanted the same things.
“He’s already built on the squad who did well last season with some excellent signings and it looks like it’s going to be a good season. I want to get cracking and be part of that.
“The word promotion has been mentioned a lot and that’s a challenge I’m more than up for. It is nice to be involved with a team that clearly wants to get promotion. The manager stated his intent as far as that is concerned and, as I say, I want to play as big a part as I possibly can in that. It’s an exciting prospect for all of us.”
Speaking about the finalising of his contract coinciding with the news that former-Morecambe team mate Jamie Devitt had also made the move north, he said: “I had a smile on my face when I saw that he’d signed.
“He’s a player I know well and we obviously had initial contact with each other once we knew we were both speaking to Carlisle. We’ll both be moving up to the area and hopefully we’ll take the partnership we developed through our time with Morecambe onto the pitch with United.
“It was an excellent partnership, because we played well together, and it gives us something to work on as soon as we get here.”
On leaving Morecambe to make the switch, he said: “I had a really good time there and it’s sad to be leaving, in many respects. It was never going to be completely easy to move away from that, but you have to consider your options and do what you think is best for yourself and your family at that time.
“Last season was probably my best in the game so far, in terms of pitch time and goals scored, but this is a new challenge and it’s one I can’t wait for. It’s another step I’ve taken with my career and a big part of that is because of the ambition I’ve seen within my new club.
“That dangled an extra carrot because I want to be part of something successful. All of the new signings so far have said the same thing about wanting to be involved at the top end of the table and I think we’re all very clear on that.”
And he’s a player who needs no introduction to United fans following his brace in Morecambe’s 3-2 victory against the Blues at Brunton Park last October.
“I scored a couple of goals that day and it was a good team performance,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing I want to bring here with me. I really want to kick on and I want to be playing regularly.
“If I can bring good form into the start of next season hopefully it’ll mean that things will be even better for me. I’m not the type of player to set too many targets but obviously I want to be playing as many games as possible and scoring goals.
“I know I tend to score goals when I get a regular run of games but it’s up to me to earn the right to do that. It’s a team game and as long as we’re challenging at the top of the table it’ll mean that we’re getting it right collectively.
“Hopefully I will have a big part to play but the first step is to get to work, meet everybody and get on with the job.”
