MyFirstAgent's Tom is Catching the Eye in Workington
Carlisle United youngster Tom Aldred is catching the eye whilst on loan with Workington, and has had his own eye caught too
Lancashire, United Kingdom, November 25, 2009 --(PR.com)-- A 2-0 victory away to high flying Corby Town was an excellent return for Workington on their longest away trip of the season, and an apt metaphor for their young defender Tom Aldred, who has had to travel a long way from home in order to pursue his dream of a successful career in the professional game.
The 19-year-old originally hails from Stone Clough near Bolton, but his quest to make a name for himself took him a long way north to Carlisle United, where he has progressed from a youth team scholar to a first year professional, and is currently learning all about the sharper edges of the game by spending the first half of the season with Workington in the Blue Square North.
Last Saturday’s trip to the Midlands was one of the toughest tests he’s encountered so far, but he came through it with flying colours, in spite of being on the end of some prickly treatment from a man once famed for ‘having a pineapple on his head’.
“To go away from home and beat a side that’s up at the top of the league is a really good result,” said Tom, who has earned plenty of rave reviews during his loan. “I came off after the game with a black eye and three stitches though, because I was up against Jason Lee who has played up there in the Premiership with Nottingham Forest, and I think he did for me on purpose.
“He caught me on the side of the head with an elbow so I had to go off and get treatment, but I think I can take that as being a good thing because it’s something else for me to learn about the competitive aspect of senior football.”
The former Blackburn Rovers Centre of Excellence player, who got his chance in Cumbria after a medial knee ligament injury denied him his entire final season with the Premier League side, has got a wise head on his young shoulders, and has relished the chance to further his knowledge base in non-league.
“It has been a really good experience and I’ve learned lots from it,” he explains. “I think it’s important to be getting first team football from a young age - there’s nothing better than getting out there and playing first team football.
“I’ve played in front of some big crowds and because it’s a more competitive competition than being in the reserves at a bigger club, you’re really playing for those points and gets you into the good mental habit of wanting to win because it really matters. it’s pleasing from my point of view that we’ve got one of the best defensive records in the division – that’s been one of our strengths throughout the season.”
His temporary manager at Borough Park, Darren Edmondson, has been hugely impressed with what he’s seen from the defender so far this season. In the aftermath of the recent defeat to Southport, he singled out Aldred as being ‘quality’, and added that it is ‘obvious that he will have a great career’.
“For someone like him to come out and say the kind of things he’s said about me this season has been a massive confidence boost,” said Aldred. “He’s given me the belief that I can really go on and have a good career.
“Viv Busby and Tony Caig have all been a massive help to me too, and it has been great to be working with people who really want you to do well. I’ve not got long left here, but I’m looking forward to my last few games and hope I’ll keep doing well and learning from the experience.”
There is no chance of the player managed by MyFirstAgent.com being able to stay in West Cumbria any later than December 6th, given that he will have spent the maximum time permitted on loan under the terms of his agreement by then. It means that his thoughts are now turning towards what lies ahead.
“I’m told that there are people from clubs higher up the leagues coming to our games so it’s good to have the right sort of people potentially noticing me, because I’m keen to achieve things,” he says.
“I don’t know how the season is going to pan out, but the key is just to do well for the rest of the month at Workington and go back to Carlisle to see how things go. I just hope I can continue to play at as high a level as I can for the rest of the season to get some more experience, and hopefully get a few games under my belt at Carlisle.”
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The 19-year-old originally hails from Stone Clough near Bolton, but his quest to make a name for himself took him a long way north to Carlisle United, where he has progressed from a youth team scholar to a first year professional, and is currently learning all about the sharper edges of the game by spending the first half of the season with Workington in the Blue Square North.
Last Saturday’s trip to the Midlands was one of the toughest tests he’s encountered so far, but he came through it with flying colours, in spite of being on the end of some prickly treatment from a man once famed for ‘having a pineapple on his head’.
“To go away from home and beat a side that’s up at the top of the league is a really good result,” said Tom, who has earned plenty of rave reviews during his loan. “I came off after the game with a black eye and three stitches though, because I was up against Jason Lee who has played up there in the Premiership with Nottingham Forest, and I think he did for me on purpose.
“He caught me on the side of the head with an elbow so I had to go off and get treatment, but I think I can take that as being a good thing because it’s something else for me to learn about the competitive aspect of senior football.”
The former Blackburn Rovers Centre of Excellence player, who got his chance in Cumbria after a medial knee ligament injury denied him his entire final season with the Premier League side, has got a wise head on his young shoulders, and has relished the chance to further his knowledge base in non-league.
“It has been a really good experience and I’ve learned lots from it,” he explains. “I think it’s important to be getting first team football from a young age - there’s nothing better than getting out there and playing first team football.
“I’ve played in front of some big crowds and because it’s a more competitive competition than being in the reserves at a bigger club, you’re really playing for those points and gets you into the good mental habit of wanting to win because it really matters. it’s pleasing from my point of view that we’ve got one of the best defensive records in the division – that’s been one of our strengths throughout the season.”
His temporary manager at Borough Park, Darren Edmondson, has been hugely impressed with what he’s seen from the defender so far this season. In the aftermath of the recent defeat to Southport, he singled out Aldred as being ‘quality’, and added that it is ‘obvious that he will have a great career’.
“For someone like him to come out and say the kind of things he’s said about me this season has been a massive confidence boost,” said Aldred. “He’s given me the belief that I can really go on and have a good career.
“Viv Busby and Tony Caig have all been a massive help to me too, and it has been great to be working with people who really want you to do well. I’ve not got long left here, but I’m looking forward to my last few games and hope I’ll keep doing well and learning from the experience.”
There is no chance of the player managed by MyFirstAgent.com being able to stay in West Cumbria any later than December 6th, given that he will have spent the maximum time permitted on loan under the terms of his agreement by then. It means that his thoughts are now turning towards what lies ahead.
“I’m told that there are people from clubs higher up the leagues coming to our games so it’s good to have the right sort of people potentially noticing me, because I’m keen to achieve things,” he says.
“I don’t know how the season is going to pan out, but the key is just to do well for the rest of the month at Workington and go back to Carlisle to see how things go. I just hope I can continue to play at as high a level as I can for the rest of the season to get some more experience, and hopefully get a few games under my belt at Carlisle.”
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00448000852584
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