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" Last year was terrific, the run that we went on, and it is disappointing that we couldn't have done the same this year. As captain I would have liked to have gone on a bit of a run so obviously I am devastated tonight. I thought that if we were going to go out then we would have gone out to a big side, like last year with (Aston) Villa at home, but unfortunately it was not the same this year. It's for me now personally to just get over it and get on with it really.
" My professional contract is what I have been working for really since I walked through the door as a 16-year old on the 1st of June two years ago. I'm delighted to have been offered a contract, I am just delighted, it is what I have been looking to achieve and I have done it.
" I think that now you are on your own, when you come in you are a youth team player and you are part of a team, you have got to shine and you have got to get your contract. I have done that now and now that I am on my own I have got to go on and achieve things and hopefully get into the first team and get a new contract, on to bigger and better things.
" My mother's side of the family is the Scottish link, all that side is Scottish so I am basically half-Scottish. When the Scottish FA came knocking I was not going to turn them down no matter what country I was born in. So I am delighted with that, the rest of the lads that are there are all from big clubs and to come from Carlisle and get in a squad like that is a great achievement, I am very proud.
" It is a 30-man squad and it is a get together at a place called Largs near Hampden Park. So I am looking forward to it, it is a two day training thing, stop overnight on Monday night and you train both days and then come back for the reserve game here on the Wednesday, so I am looking forward to it.
" I have known Eric (Kinder) since I was a 13 or 14-year old and I walked in at Blackburn. He has looked after me ever since and he brought me up here with the intentions of getting me a professional contract and I have done that in 18 months. Now I have got another 18 months just to get another one and go on to bigger things. So hopefully I will keep moving on and stick by him because he has done me very well up to now. "