Valentin Gjokaj on his loan deal
It’s been a whirlwind few days for Derby defender Valentin Gjokaj as he played for the Rams U21 side in a 2-0 victory on Monday before agreeing to a loan deal with the Cumbrians later this week - a deal which keeps him at Brunton Park until the beginning of January next year.
Just to make sure he had no time to settle at all we caught up with him moments after he joined up with the squad on the team bus on Friday afternoon.
“It’s all happened really quickly but I don’t mind that,” he said. “I had a call from the staff at Derby to tell me about it and I jumped at the chance to come here.
“It’s a challenge I am really looking forward to and I just want to do my best to help the team climb up the table. Hopefully I will get the chance to play and show people what I can do.”
“The coaches at Derby told me that this will be a really good experience for me,” he added. “It’s important at the age I am now to be showing people that I can cope in and around the first team squad.
“I am doing well with U21 side over there but that is never going to be the same as playing first team football in front of big crowds. The gaffer has told me to do well and hopefully that’s what I’ll do.”
“I am genuinely excited and happy to be here,” he said. “I’m good with the ball at my feet and I’m not the type who will smash it away unless I have to. I’m a big lad and I like to think I read the game well, but I can also be aggressive.
“If I’m being honest I don’t know much about Carlisle but the lads have already been fantastic with me on the bus. I think it’s easier to meet people like this when we’re travelling to a game and I will get to learn a lot about how we do things tomorrow. That can only be good.
“Like I say, this is an experience I am looking forward to. Hopefully it will work out well for everybody.”
