Alex Salmon on his professional contract
Striker Alex Salmon has been a regular on the score sheet for the youth team and his eye for goal is complemented by an ability to find the space and make the runs which brings others into the mix in very dangerous areas.
Improving all the time, he was very quickly flagged-up as one to watch.
“I was so worried about not getting a contract so when I was told that it was good news it was just a massive relief," he said.
“I think I was the most nervous when we were waiting to get called in. I just wanted to find out and I was one of the last to be told, so that made it feel like real agony."
“Sitting there and seeing the other lads who didn't get a contract was horrible," he admitted. "We've been together for two years so it was difficult to know that they weren't going to be here next season. On the other side of that it was brilliant to see Brandon [Gwinnutt] and Jack [Lynch] come out with massive smiles on their faces.
“We didn't really have any indication of what was going to happen at all. Some of the lads knew they weren't going to get one, but some of us thought we had a chance, so it was just a case of wait and see."
“I went into the manager's office and he started by telling me I wasn't very good in training that morning," he told us. "I didn’t know what to think or where to look. He then smiled and told me he'd liked what he'd seen throughout the season and he was going to offer me a deal.
"I’ve no idea what I did because I was obviously really pleased and it was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. As soon as he told me I took a big breath and released the tension because I was really nervous about it."
“Greg [Abbott] has said that he knows I've got a bit of a reputation for being cocky, but he knows that I'll need him and the other professionals to help me out next season," he explained. "I need to keep my head down and keep doing what I'm doing on the pitch and I should be fine.
“The four lads who got through last season have really given me something to work towards. They’ve been a big part of the team and I would love to do that next season.
"I'll work as hard as I possibly can over the summer so I can be ready to give it a really good go myself.”