Recently signed United striker Danny Graham spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey during the week as he gave his thoughts on his permanent move from Middlesbrough to Brunton Park on Tuesday. Graham talking about wanting to play for the Blues full time after spending three months on loan with the club last season :
" It's been a long time coming with the transfer and stuff, everything has been sorted out although it has taken a while. Now though I'm glad to be back, glad to have everything signed and I'm just ready to kick on for pre-season now. It took a while with the injury, I played one game and got injured and missed a couple, then I came back and as a striker if you are scoring goals then confidence comes.
" I scored quite early on and thankfully from there all the goals just started to flow. What a great run towards the end of last season which, unfortunately we didn't make the play-offs, but hopefully we can take that on to next season and push on as far as we can go. It was a bit of a stinker to miss the last two games,
" I came to watch the Swansea game and I thought the lads played really well and gave everything. They could have won the game at the end but we just ran out of steam I think and Swansea obviously took the points. It was frustrating to miss the last two games and if we'd got in the play-offs then I would have missed those as well.
" There was Sheffield Wednesday, Scunthorpe, Hartlepool, a few Scottish teams as well, Dundee United, Kilmarnock and Hibs that showed an interest in me. So there was a lot of interest there but out of all the clubs Carlisle were the ones on the phone most of the time, every week I spoke to Carlisle. They were constantly coming on the phone and telling me how much they wanted to bring me here.
" It only felt right that I came over to Carlisle for guaranteed first-team football, which I want at my age at 21 years old, I want to be playing as many games as I can. Carlisle have offered me that and I jumped at the chance really. I've spoken to a lot of the lads, we went on the trip to Marbella for Kevin Gall's stag do with all the lads. They rang me every day to see what I was doing, I told them that I was having talks with the club which I was. "
" Obviously I know which way the club wants to go, everyone wants to move forward. I've had the manager (Neil McDonald) telling me how much he wants to take the club forward. The players want the same and hopefully I want to be part of that, and hopefully we can take Carlisle United forward. It wasn't a difficult decision, I was here last year on loan and I had a really successful time. I got on really well with the lads and I speak to them quite regularly still, it wasn't a hard decision at all.
" They are a great bunch of lads, up for a laugh and everything like myself. The banter is flying in the changing room with training and everything, from day one when I walked in the door I felt right at home at Carlisle. All the lads made me feel welcome so that helped a lot in my decision, the main decision was that Carlisle really wanted me to come here. I wanted to come and they have offered me a chance to play week in, week out which I need as a player and I jumped at the chance.
" The only holiday I have had so far is that four day stag do in Marbella. Everything is sorted now, I know where I am at and what I am doing, hopefully I might get a week away, but if that doesn't come about then I won't be too bothered about that. I'm just looking forward to coming back in the pre-season, have a good pre-season under my belt and hopefully kick on next year.
" In football you don't know what is round the corner, I obviously had been at Middlesbrough since I was 17. They took me in from the Northern League and they gave me the chance to play Premiership football for the amount of time I did. They gave me the chance to play in Europe and the FA Cup and stuff like that so Middlesbrough will always be in my heart. I will be looking for their results week in and week out to see how they are doing and hopefully they will do well.
" Now I'm a Carlisle player though and I just want to focus on Carlisle. The bunch of lads that we have got here is a really good bunch of lads who want to achieve things, as does the backroom staff, so hopefully we can push on and see where we can go. "