Defender Shaun Brisley on signing for United
Defender Shaun Brisley put pen-to-paper on a two-year deal with the club on Monday morning and immediately confirmed that he now just wants to get on with the job at hand having come to pre-season slightly later than the rest of the squad.
“I’m delighted to finally have it done and dusted,” he said. “We’ve been talking about it for a week or so but I’m very happy with the outcome. I’m just looking forward to playing some football now.
“There were a couple of other clubs who showed interest but I came up here, spoke to Keith and his coaching staff, and I got some really good vibes off them. They told me about what they want to do with the club and, to be fair, that’s what probably swayed my decision in the end.
“The way they explained their ambitions for the club met my ambitions and it all went on from there. As I say, I did speak to a couple of other clubs but this was always the main option for me.
“I want to be at a club where I can kick on and I have the ambition to play as high as I want to play. In my position and at my age I’ve still got the opportunity to do that if things go well.”
“I’ve looked at who we’ve signed and that made the decision easier for me as well,” he told us. “The squad has been strengthened well and I think we’ve got a really good chance of promotion. That’s why it feels like this is the right club to help me to progress my career.
“It’s taken longer than I thought it would take but when you look at the number of players out of contract this season it was nice to have a few offers on the table. The two-year deal is a vote of confidence and hopefully I’ll repay that trust on the football field. It’s nice to have that security behind you as a player because it means I’ll be able to focus completely on my football.
“It’s a club which is rebuilding after the floods and it feels like it’s a good place to be. I’ve obviously been here before and I actually scored here for Macclesfield in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy when I was only 18.
“I don’t think I’ve won too many games here so I’ll be looking for that to change in the home shirt. The surface is always nice and it’s a good place to play.”
Speaking about the frustration of not having a deal in place when the rest of the lads reported back for pre-season, he said: “It’s something I’ve never really experienced before. It’s in the back of your mind each day that you’re missing out on more training when the other lads are back in.
“The thing is that you have to make sure the deal at the place you’re going to is right for you. It’s never a decision you want to rush because, as I say, it has to be right for all parties.
“It’s done now and, looking at the squad, it’s nice to see there’s healthy competition for places. That keeps you on your toes. You know you have to perform to the best of your ability every week because it goes without saying that the other lads will do the same.
“I want to progress myself as a player and hopefully help the club to progress as well. The manager has spoken openly about it being a promotion push and it’s always nice to have that little bit of added pressure.
“It makes players perform slightly better, week in and week out, because they know there’s something there for them to fight for.”
As for what the United fans can expect from him, he said: “I like to win headers but I also think I’m comfortable on the ball and I can play out from the back.
“I’ve been with Peterborough for four years and their culture is to play the ball on the ground. That’s their training regime and hopefully I can bring a bit of that here.
“I really enjoyed my time with Peterborough but I felt I was ready for a new challenge towards the end of last season. I was told I wasn’t really needed there any more and I had a few spells out on loan.
“Being honest, that experience was quite difficult. I have a young family so I wanted to keep my main base, but it was also important that I was playing games. As I say, I’ve enjoyed my time down south but it will be nice to be based up here again.
“Going on loan to Northampton and Orient meant I got a taste of this league so I can’t wait to show the Carlisle fans what I can do now. I’m here to add promotions to my CV.
“It would be nice to make my way back up the Football League with this club.”
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