We spoke to Sam Murray, after the defender joined the Blues following the expiration of his contract with Manchester United.
Speaking to CUTV, he said: “I’m excited, delighted to be here really. I know it's a great opportunity and I spoke to Mark Hughes last week, spoke to Marc Tierney and heard about the project that they've got here and what they want to achieve over the next two years, it was something that I wanted to be a part of.”
Sam explained why he felt the move to Carlisle was the best next step for him in his career, saying: "Well I want to, first of all, play football and be playing as much as I can.
“This club is a big club, it's got big ambitions and I think it's a step in the right direction and the right step for me.”
Sam then talked us through his career so far, explaining: “I was at Huddersfield when I was eight until 14 and then their academy shut down, so I went to Man United and I was there for six or seven years.
“It was amazing [at Man United], it was a good six years of my life, I learnt a lot football wise on and off the pitch and had some great experiences and it will stick with me and help me kick on here.
“You're around unbelievable players every day so you learn a lot from them. Coaches, first team coaches, you learn a lot from them too, their different playing styles.
"When I was at United when I was 14 it was Travis Binnion and he moved all the way up with me, so he became the 16s, 18s and 21s coach, so you know, I've got to thank him a lot for his work with me and how I've progressed.”
Sam also won the FA Youth Cup, alongside players such as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, he spoke fondly of those memories, stating: “That was a mad experience, great bunch of lads. We just took it game by game and it’s a great memory.”
Sam spent last pre-season with the first team at Manchester United, after previously featuring at Brunton Park for the Red Devils in the EFL Trophy.
“I was away in LA, we played Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Betis and Rangers at the start of pre-season so there were some good games to get me going and it was really good.
“I remember [playing at Brunton Park], I think we scored in the last minute. I liked it here, good stadium, there were good fans and I'm looking forward to meeting them.
“When I came here last week to see what it was about. I was getting a few flashbacks and thought you know what, there's something about this place, like the stadium's good and there's brilliant facilities here, so it was something I thought about and was fond of.”
On how his first day had gone, Murray said: “I think I was the first one in this morning. Then meeting all the lads was great and they've been good with me and you know it's a new chapter now and you have these lads with you every day.
“You’re training and playing games with them, you’re together off the pitch with them so yes it seems like a good bunch of lads and I'm excited to be part of that group.
“I had a medical this morning with the physio and then athletic stuff with S&Cs and then probably some running of some sort this afternoon.”
Finally, the defender outlined what fans can expect from him on the pitch, saying: “High energy, commitment, I'll defend, I'll definitely get forward and I'm a team player. I’ll give everything.”
