Bury striker Hallam Hope on his debut and his loan spell
Bury forward Hallam Hope spoke to us ahead of the Tuesday morning training session about his first game for the club and what he wants from his loan spell with the Cumbrians.
“It’s been a bit of a hectic week but it was good, in a way, that the game came round quickly for me on Saturday,” he said. “I joined the lads last Thursday and then it was straight into the Wycombe away trip.
“I think that’s a good way of doing it and I’m looking forward to the next game now. It’s a decent set of lads and it felt like I fitted in right away. The manager has said he’s been tracking me for a while and that’s also good to know.
“I like him and I’m enjoying the way he wants us to play and pass the ball. He’s always trying to make you feel confident and that’s important for a player. I’m looking forward to the challenge he’s set me of showing him exactly what I can do.
“He’s told me he wants to see more of what he’s seen from me already. The staff at Bury pretty much said the same. They said I need to enjoy it and get as much out of it as I can. Hopefully the experience will make me a better player.”
“For me, it’s important to show everyone I can do a job whenever I’m asked to do it,” he added. “However long your contract is for at your club you’re always looking to how you can secure the next one.
“It’s too early to say whether or not this loan will go beyond the month – we’ll have to see how it goes – so we’ll look at that situation when the time comes.”
“When I first found out I was wanted here there were no second thoughts from me at all,” he commented. “I know a few of the lads who are here now and I asked them what it was like. They all told me to jump at the chance.
“I had to introduce myself to everyone with a song on Friday night, so I gave them my version of Juicy by Biggie Smalls. It seemed to go down ok. I’ve done it a few times so you get used to what it’s going to be like when you get up in front of them all.”
On his debut appearance on Saturday, he said: “It was a good feeling when the manager gave me the nod to say I was starting. The reason I’m here is to play games and help the team, and hopefully I’ll get a few goals along the way as well.
“I thought we started well but the red card made things tough. I don’t think it was a sending off at all but we dug in and got on with it. We were really unlucky not to get the three points in the end.
“It felt like a massive blow when they got the equaliser that late in the game. We’d put a lot into it but I suppose if you go back to the sending off, and offered us a point then, we’d probably have taken it. It isn’t nice to concede as late as that but it wasn’t a bad result.”
“I was able to show the away fans a bit of what I’m about, which was good,” he said. “If we’d had 11 men for the full 90 minutes I’d probably have been able to do a bit more in an attacking sense, but sometimes it’s more important to do the job for the team.
“I had a few shots and it would obviously be great if I could a goal early in my loan spell. I’m a striker and I’m here to help the team get goals. There was one shot which took a deflection and went over the bar, and it was a good block from their lad, to be fair to him. I’d struck it well and I did think it might be going in.
“When Troy scored it was in front of our fans and that was a good moment. You can see they’re really passionate and it was an even better celebration because we got the goal at a good time.
“We’re at home this weekend and I’m looking forward to saying hello to the home fans. They get behind the team well and it’s a fantastic pitch. For those who haven’t seen me I’d say I’m powerful, I work hard for the team and I can score goals.
“I like to run at defenders and do some of the exciting things. Hopefully I’ll do some of that against Yeovil on Saturday. I haven’t set myself any definite targets yet – just to play the games and try to get a few goals.”
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