New arrival on what he wants this month
New arrival Kevin Feely spoke to us on Thursday afternoon about what he wants from his time at Brunton Park.
“I think this is a great opportunity for me,” he said. “I was delighted when I heard the news because all I’ve wanted since the start of pre-season is the chance to play games.
“I was initially told at Charlton that I probably wasn’t going to be involved at the start of this season and I thought straight away that I would want to try to get a loan move. I’m very excited to be here now that this has happened.”
“Chris Powell [Charlton manager] spoke to me after training on Wednesday [4pm] and he told me that this move was a really good option," he explained. "He said that Carlisle have a great reputation for helping players in this type of situation and that if I worked hard then I’d be in the team. That would obviously be great for my development and it definitely had a big influence on me coming here.”
“I have to be honest and say that my first thought, when I was told that it was Carlisle, was – where on earth is Carlisle?” he revealed. “I was a bit shocked at how far away it was but it’s a strong League One club and it didn’t take much thinking about.
“I haven’t actually made my league debut yet - I’ve been on the bench a few times - so doing that would be massive for me. I want to see if I can get a few games under my belt and handle the pressure.”
“I was playing regularly in the League of Ireland for Bohs, prior to moving to Charlton, and it would be great to get back to doing that again," he continued. "The Championship is a huge step up from where I was and it was a move I couldn’t turn down. We won the treble with the Development squad down there but I think I’m ready for the next step in my career now.”
“I trained with the Carlisle lads for the first time this morning and they seem like a great bunch,” he told us. “Everyone was obviously buzzing because of the result they had against Blackburn. That’s exactly the kind of atmosphere you want to come in to. Hopefully I can play a part in helping with that."
“When people describe me they say I’m aggressive and good in the air," he said. "I’m told that I’m an organiser and I do like to get the ball down and play. My main priority right now is to get into the team and play consistently. If that happens, and Carlisle are happy with me in a month’s time, then we could maybe look at extending the stay. We’ll have to see how it goes.”
“Greg [Abbott] has told me to work hard,” he told us. “He wants me to push my way into the team and to settle into the way things are done. He wants me to bring something new to the table and it is fantastic how welcoming he has been. He just wants it to go as well as it possibly can for me and the club.
“If I get the chance to play at Bradford then that will be a real test for me. I’ve played in front of crowds of a few thousand before with Bohs, but that’s nothing compared to what Saturday will be. I really do want to see how I handle it.
“A good example of how it can go well for players from Ireland is Paddy Madden. I’m at an age where I need to be playing, like he was, and he’s flying at the moment. I was with him for a year at Bohs and he always stood out as being one of the most exciting players in the league. He had a tough time initially but he bounced back and really pushed on. If I can match that, or get anywhere near it, I’ll be happy.
“I always set myself goals and targets and, right now, that’s to get in the Carlisle United first team. If I do then I should have developed as a player by the end of the month. Then I can take the next step.”
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