Carlisle United’s new goalkeeper Mark Howard could have been playing for the Blues all season he has revealed.
Preparing for his second outing as the Carlisle custodian tonight at Newport, the 35-year-old revealed he was close to joining United in the summer.
Howard said: “It all happened quite quickly. With the manager leaving I got a couple of phone calls last week from David Holdsworth and we were just trying to get the deal done.
“Fortunately it was pretty quick and easy from both sides, and I was delighted to come in.
“There had been contact before. Last season it was made from Chris Beech and we had a couple of chats. I’d also met with David at that time but it just didn’t quite pan out how we’d have hoped.
“I’ve stayed in contact with the club, spoke to David over the past week, and we sorted something out that worked for everybody.
“The length of the deal was something we both had a good chat about. Where the club is, without a manager, we agreed it’s probably a great scenario for us both to say it’s a short-term deal with a view to the rest of the season, and we’ll take it from there.”
He had become a free agent during the summer following him leaving Scunthorpe and has not been short of offers.
He says: “It’s about picking the right time and the right contract at the right club.
“I’m based in Preston and my kids go to school there, so that played a big part. I didn’t want a lot of travelling and I didn’t want to move the family, that sort of thing does matter, especially as you get older.
“It was just about waiting and being patient. I’ve been in training with Wigan for five weeks so I felt ready to go. It’s nice to get sorted now. I wouldn’t say it was a relief, I was just waiting for the right opportunity.
“And I obviously need to say thank you to Wigan. I’ve got a few contacts there and I can’t thank them enough really. They’ve done me a massive favour by letting me train and keep myself ready and sharp.”
Howard admitted he’s also looking to the future, when his playing days are over -although he believes he can play in goal for a long time yet.
He revealed: “I’ve started a lot of things away from football. I’m now doing a degree in sports journalism and media, and a bit of coaching on the side. At my age I am looking to the end of my career, but I still feel I’m good to go for another four or five years easily.”
But what about his current role at Carlisle, when more than his goal-keeping skills will be of value.
He said: “Hopefully I can use my experience. I did a similar thing last year when I signed for Scunthorpe after eight games of the season when they were down near the bottom of the league. We ended up staying up quite comfortably.
“I’ve been brought in here to try and help the lads as much as possible, so if that’s me being on the pitch then that’s obviously what I want. I want to be in the team and affecting results.
“As a goalkeeper you’re an individual playing in a team so as long as I go on the pitch and do the best job I can do, I can’t really affect the way the team plays. As long as I can be myself and be calm in goal, I think that can rub off on the outfielders which will hopefully reflect in their performances.
“If they have a big vocal voice behind them then hopefully that will help calm a few of their nerves. I’ve always tried to pass on that knowledge that I have.
“It’s free, and you don’t even have to be very good at it, any information you can give can be the best information. I’ve always tried to use that to my advantage.”
