We spoke to popular defender Gary Liddle this week as he left Brunton Park to move on to pastures new having made 112 appearances and scored twice for the Blues during his 28-month stay.
“It was two-and-a-half years ago when I joined the club under Keith [Curle] and I’ve had a few managers in that time, but I’d like to think it’s been quite a successful time," he said. "I had a difficult first couple of months after dropping down from the league above, but once I got my bearings a little bit I’d like to think I showed consistency throughout my time here.
"Having made well over 100 appearances for the club it probably shows I was consistent."
“I’m leaving Brunton Park with some good memories and good friends," he continued. "Prior to coming here I’d never been involved in a play-off campaign, so to be involved in that as soon as I arrived was something I really enjoyed. It didn’t quite work out the way we all wanted it to but it was a really good experience.
“The one disappointment from my time at the club is that we didn’t get the promotion that everybody wanted. Even looking back at this season, we’ve dropped points which have meant we’ve fallen short again.
"We had that run at home where we not only couldn't win, but we didn’t score a goal, so points have been dropped here, there and everywhere. That’s what killed us in the end, but every team can look back at things like that.
"People always say you end up where you deserve to be, and with the inconsistency we showed throughout the season it’s probably about right."
On how it feels to be moving on, he said: “I’ve met some great people at the club, both on the pitch and off it. Those people will be friends I’ll take away from the club and I’ll definitely keep in touch with them.
"You build relationships at any football club, and the dressing room we had was a really top dressing room, so there are players in there who will be friends for life."
Having notched up a career milestone of 600 appearances whilst with the Cumbrians, he commented: “To break through that landmark was something I was really proud of, and to do that at Carlisle is something I’ll hold with me for the rest of my life.
"To get past 100 appearances for the club was something I always wanted to achieve as well. As soon as I signed for the club my aim was to make 100 appearances, so to have done that is something I’m really proud of.
“I played a few different positions in those 100 appearances, which is something I’ve grown accustomed to throughout my career. As I’ve got older I’ve found myself in the back line more often than not, and that's probably somewhere where I see myself playing for the rest of my career. When I’ve been needed I’ve stepped into other positions and I’ve always been happy to do so."
And on his relationship with the fans, he told us: "They've been great with me from the first day I arrived, so I'd like to thank them for their support throughout my time at the club.
"They always showed me great respect, which I really appreciated. They always turned out in their numbers both home and away. When I first came to the club the away following did surprise me, the numbers at every away game were amazing when you look at the miles they travel.
"We had the long trek to Yeovil for the last game of the season and to see as many fans there as there was should have surprised me, but it didn’t, and I think that’s great testament to them."
“This is the first time in my career that I’ve ever been released from a football club, but it happens," he told us. "The new manager has come in and he probably has different ideas in terms of the way he wants to take the team forward, and sometimes certain players don’t fit into that.
"Steven [Pressley] is a really nice guy and I know it’s nothing personal, we shook hands and went our separate ways."
“I’m quite excited now to see what the future holds," he concluded. "Like I said, I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve been without a club, but I’d like to think I’ve got enough experience and know-how which will mean I’ll find myself a club sooner rather than later.
"It’s too early to say what comes next. A lot of clubs are only just releasing their retained list. It’s the same as any summer, there are so many players out of contract these days so nothing is ever certain.
"I’ll have a little bit of a rest and let my agent do the work he needs to do, and hopefully he’ll come back with a few options for me."
