Jabo Ibehre on his relationship with the fans
In the second part of our interview with Jabo Ibehre we asked him about the importance of the strong relationship he has built up with the fans since his arrival in Cumbria last summer."The fans have been absolutely fantastic with me all season," he said. "They've made me feel really welcome here.
"It's been a bit overwhelming at times because I'm actually a bit of a shy guy. When you see the flags and things like that, it's just like 'wow'. I'm very grateful for it and I just hope I can keep doing well for them."
"There's been a lot of adversity for us throughout the season," he continued. "It hasn't been a straight forward campaign, like it could have been.
"We've never complained about it. We've tried to do our best but I think the disruptions did take a bit of the impetus out of the consistency we had. We got on with it and I think it will just make us stronger. When you think about it, if we do get a smooth season, where everything goes for us, we should fly."
Added to the disruption at work, caused by the floods which reduced Brunton Park to something reminiscent of a building site in December, came the news that his daughter had been diagnosed with meningitis and that a prolonged hospital stay for the toddler was on the cards.
"What happened with my daughter was tough," he admitted. "She was only six months old at the time and with her being my first child there were all kinds of things going through my mind.
"I'm not going to lie, it was difficult, but it's something you deal with. All we could do was be there for her and it's another experience which will make me stronger. She's back to normal now, so I'm very pleased about that, and if something like that happens again I'll know how to deal with it.
"It was fantastic how many people it touched and I received some very kind letters and messages. There were a few Carlisle supporters here who gave me teddies for my little one, which was really nice.
"I'm very grateful for the love and support I got and it shows how much community spirit we have here. The fans set up a fund and donated to a meningitis charity when I scored goals, which was unbelievable. That same spirit was shown after the floods as well and the way everyone pulls together through tough times here is fantastic.
"What happened with my daughter was tough," he admitted. "She was only six months old at the time and with her being my first child there were all kinds of things going through my mind.
"I'm not going to lie, it was difficult, but it's something you deal with. All we could do was be there for her and it's another experience which will make me stronger. She's back to normal now, so I'm very pleased about that, and if something like that happens again I'll know how to deal with it.
"It was fantastic how many people it touched and I received some very kind letters and messages. There were a few Carlisle supporters here who gave me teddies for my little one, which was really nice.
"I'm very grateful for the love and support I got and it shows how much community spirit we have here. The fans set up a fund and donated to a meningitis charity when I scored goals, which was unbelievable. That same spirit was shown after the floods as well and the way everyone pulls together through tough times here is fantastic.
"It's certainly something I appreciate."
Click HERE for part one of this interview.
Part three of this interview will appear on the official website on Thursday morning.
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