Carlisle United youth boss Mark Birch has been assessing the potential of defender Josh O’Brien who has gone to Workington on loan.
O’Brien joined up with Reds for the first time last Tuesday and got half an hour in the 3-0 defeat at Marske.
He’s on a work experience loan at Borough Park and Birch said: “It’s good for Josh, he’s a player who has great potential because of his size and he’s a good athlete.
“What he didn’t really do was believe in himself. He didn’t have that at all, and he needed to work harder.
“We had some really harsh conversations with him about working harder because we can’t be the ones doing all of it with him, he has to produce it on his own as well.
“We told him that with the physique he has it’s on him to do the gym work to make sure that his body is capable of handling the role and, to be fair to him, for the last three or four weeks he’s done that.
“Danny Grainger comes in each week and does a couple of sessions with him, and he lost a centre back and he said right, I’ll take a gamble on Josh.
“It’s up to Josh now, but it’s great for him because he’s now playing in front of 700 to 800 people every week with Workington and it’s the next thing in his personal progression that he needs.
“I’m sure there are other lads that Danny could have gone out to get but to show that belief in Josh and what he can do is really good for the lad.
“Josh has trained well, and we also have Paul Boertien who has been having a lot of chats with him as well. He’s been telling him that he’s going to waste it if he didn’t wake up.
“He said to him that everything he could achieve in football comes down to him, and I think Paul also spoke to him about making sacrifices along the way, so that was good for Josh to hear it from players who have done it.
“These are the kind of people we’ve got with us now, and hopefully they do listen to the advice and, as with Josh, when the chance like this comes you wish him all the best.”
After playing last Tuesday at Marske O’Brien will have to wait until November 11 for his next outing as Reds are without games for two successive Saturdays.
They will travel to Guiseley on November 11 but then face the prospect of no game again on November 18 as scheduled opponents Macclesfield have made progress in the FA Trophy.
Reds are currently trying to rearrange a home game for November 18 as their next scheduled game at Borough Park is not until December 2 against Hyde United.
Incidentally Macclesfield have just appointed Alex Bruce, son of much-travelled manager Steve Bruce, as their latest new boss.
