Midfielder Owen Moxon agreed a two-year deal with the Blues last week making a return to the club where his football journey started following a period playing north of the border, which included a stunning season last time out where he scooped a number of player of the year awards.
We caught up with him just after the summer deal had been confirmed to get his thoughts on coming home.
“It feels a bit surreal to be back,” he said. “I was here when I was younger so I’m buzzing to be back and I can’t wait to get going.
“It’s a dream to play for your local club so I’m looking forward to getting started. I first spoke to the manager a couple of weeks ago but I obviously had the play-off games with Annan coming up, so he wanted to let me focus on that.
“We spoke again afterwards and I couldn’t wait to get it all sorted. There wasn’t any doubt once I heard Carlisle were interested.
“I obviously had to wait and see what was happening with the play-offs and then it was a case of trying to get something sorted as quickly as possible.”
His near five-year stay at Galabank culminated with an excellent season, with his best scoring return coinciding with the run of results which led to the double-header against Edinburgh City.
“I’ve had a good personal season but all of the boys had a great season,” he commented. “It’s a brilliant club and we’ve done well as a team.
“To win personal awards is always nice but the rest of the boys up there have really helped me get to where I am now. That’s why I just want to kick on and go again next season.
“The play-offs was a good experience but I think we let ourselves down a bit in the first leg on the Tuesday night, especially in the second half.
“We played well in the second leg on the Friday, we just couldn’t get it over the line. It was devasting not to go up and it’s turned out to be my last game for the club as well.
“I would have loved to help them get promoted. Sometimes it’s not meant to be, but we gave everything and I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.”
And, of course, football moves on quickly, with Carlisle United now the focus.
“I just can’t wait to get started here now,” he told us. “I think a lot of people look at League Two in Scotland as a lower level, but the players that are playing there are very good and it’s a good standard.
“I feel like I’m ready to come in and improve even more, which will hopefully mean I help Carlisle kick on again after their strong finish to last season.”
A player in United’s academy between the ages of eight and 16, he admitted that it had been tough when he was given the news that he wasn’t stepping into the scholarship programme.
“I was released from our academy at 16, which was really hard at the time, especially because a few of my good friends got kept on,” he said. “I had a couple of injuries during my final year and there were a couple of changes of manager, and things like that, but I think it probably worked out better for me in the end.
“It meant I could go away and meet loads of different people, who I’ve learned a lot from. I’ve played a lot of games and picked up different experiences, so now I can come back and hopefully help this team.
“I went to Queen of the South after I left here which was a big step for me. It meant I was still at a full-time club and I got moved into the first team quite quickly.
“I was there with Gav Skelton and he was really good with me, so I’m looking forward to working with him again.”
“I then went to Annan and I think I’ve played nearly 150 games for them in what is a really hard league,” he added.
“There’s a lot of good teams in there and there’s a lot of players who have played at a higher level at some point in their career. I feel like that experience has been good for me and I’m ready to make a step up again.
“Murph has been brilliant with me, and I can’t thank him enough. He’s helped me improve so much since he came into Annan.
“He told me that he knew I would probably leave at the end of the season, but he’s supported me in every way he could.
“I spoke to him about coming here, and it’s a club close to his heart as well, so I think he’s really excited for me.
“I’m sure him and the boys at Annan will do well again next year, they’ve got great staff and great players so I don’t think I’ll be too much of a miss!”
Onto that dreaded question - for those who haven’t seen him, what type of player can we expect to see?
“I feel like I’m quite powerful and I like to play football,” he explained. “I’ll try different things with my range of passing and I don’t always like to be too safe.
“I’ll take risks even though they don’t always work out, but I like to push the team forward as best I can.
“I think this season has been my best season for goals as well, even though I’ve probably played the deepest midfield role I have during my time there.
“It’s a bit strange that it’s worked out like that, but I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve been able to get on the ball on the edge of the box and have strikes from distance, and thankfully quite a few of them have flew in.
“I’m looking to add more again, you can never have too many goals. Simmo has obviously said he likes how I am as a player and he thinks I’ll fit into the team well.
“He just wants me to keep progressing and go and kick on again really.”
With family and friends in the city it came as little surprise to see such a positive reaction to the news when it broke in the middle of last week.
“I hadn’t told too many people it was happening because I didn’t want it getting out until it was all sorted,” he told us. “My brother is absolutely buzzing for me, so are my mum and dad.
“To get back to my hometown club who they all support is just crazy. I’m sure when it’s all announced I’ll get a few messages, but I’ve tried to keep it quiet.
“It’s all a bit surreal at the moment. I think as soon as we’re all back in for pre-season I’ll get settled in properly and it will feel a bit more real.
“When you’re in the academy your dream is to go on and play for the first team, so it will be special when I make my debut.
“Hopefully it’s soon. I just want to play as many games as I can, perform well and help the team. I just want the team to do well and hopefully I can help that.”
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