Michael Raynes on being happy off the field
In the second part of our interview with Michael Raynes, we spoke to him about being happy off the field and picking up two end of season awards."Promotion is the aim for next season," he insisted. "We've really got to drive it home. Nothing else is acceptable and we've got to aim for the top.
"You do turn into a fan over the summer when you're watching who we are going to sign. When you get to my age and know a lot of people you always get phone calls asking about the club and the gaffer.
"You hear rumours here, there and everywhere, but it is exciting. If I do get those phone calls I'll be able to sell the club in a good light because it's an easy place to sell."
Speaking about his first season with the club, he said: "If I'm being totally honest during the last couple of years, when I was living down south, I found things to be really difficult. I found it hard to get home and see my family. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time at Oxford, but that side of it really affected me because I was homesick.
"Carlisle is a really good place for me. It means I can get home and see my family if I need to because they're the most important thing in my life. It was difficult to get home during the week from Oxford. It means I'm a lot happier here, which I think has helped on the field as well."
On his plans for the summer break, he told us: "My missus is pregnant so there won't be a summer holiday this year. I think I'll be painting the fence a lot and trying to get as much sleep as I can before the little one arrives!
"Carlisle is a really good place for me. It means I can get home and see my family if I need to because they're the most important thing in my life. It was difficult to get home during the week from Oxford. It means I'm a lot happier here, which I think has helped on the field as well."
On his plans for the summer break, he told us: "My missus is pregnant so there won't be a summer holiday this year. I think I'll be painting the fence a lot and trying to get as much sleep as I can before the little one arrives!
"It's always good to get some time off but I know I'll be looking forward to getting going again fairly quickly. Having said that, pre-season is definitely getting harder the older I get.
"It's an important part of things so I know I'll just do what I've got to do and make sure I'm fit."
"We know there are going to be new faces and you never know who's going to come in, so we'll all be trying to get that shirt for the first game of the season," he commented. "If you do get it you've got to keep working hard to make sure you keep it.
"We've got some good centre backs here with David Atkinson, Mark Ellis and myself. Danny [Grainger] and Tom [Miller] can also play there if needed, so we've got some good choices. If we can add more quality over the summer that can only be a good thing for the club."
On his two awards at the end of season dinner, he said: "I'm definitely not going to apologise to Danny for nicking a couple of his awards! I honestly didn't expect to get any, so it was lovely. I was buzzing ... but it made me wish I'd ironed my shirt a bit better!
"To pick them up when the fans have voted for you is special. I was sat with the fans who had voted and they were winding me up before I went up. I was saying how I knew I wasn't getting anything, and they didn't say anything because they obviously knew I was. It was a really nice feeling."
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"We've got some good centre backs here with David Atkinson, Mark Ellis and myself. Danny [Grainger] and Tom [Miller] can also play there if needed, so we've got some good choices. If we can add more quality over the summer that can only be a good thing for the club."
On his two awards at the end of season dinner, he said: "I'm definitely not going to apologise to Danny for nicking a couple of his awards! I honestly didn't expect to get any, so it was lovely. I was buzzing ... but it made me wish I'd ironed my shirt a bit better!
"To pick them up when the fans have voted for you is special. I was sat with the fans who had voted and they were winding me up before I went up. I was saying how I knew I wasn't getting anything, and they didn't say anything because they obviously knew I was. It was a really nice feeling."
Click HERE to read the first part of this interview.
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