Manager on the Josh Gillies transfer
Manager Greg Abbott gave us his reaction to the news that attacking midfielder Josh Gillies had finally received clearance to sign his two-year deal with Carlisle United.
“He is an exciting one for all of us because he's on the way up,” he said.
“We want him to keep that progression going and he's at an age where he's very capable of doing that. He's a very creative player and he's one who we think will make and score goals for us.
“Anybody who scores 15 goals from a wide position has to be a good player and that's what we hope we've got. He's technically very good and he looks fit.
“If you think the level of fitness in the Conference isn't as good as League One then I think he’s one who will prove you wrong.”
“He's similar to Liam Noble in that all he wants to do is play football,” he continued. “He doesn't seem bothered about anything else.
“He actually wanted to make the deal happen by taking a salary cut and that tells me everything I need to know about him. We would never let that happen, but that's exactly the type of player we want.
“We want people who are enthusiastic and hungry, and I think the fans will love him. I think he'll be the type of player who will really excite the supporters with the things he can do with a ball.”
“In terms of what he can do for us, I think he can play as a number 7, 10 or 11. That’s a fantastic asset for us to have.
“If I was going to say which position I think he'll make the biggest impact then I’d say that will probably be playing just behind Lee [Miller] or Mark [Beck]. He's good at making things happen and he'll be able to help the midfield two out - if we play that system. He's very comfortable on the left or the right which is a massive bonus.”
“The fact we've been able to get these deals done early in pre-season is vital,” he told us.
“It means we can get the new players integrated into the squad and they’ll feel much more comfortable with us for that.
“We've got a very tight squad here and I think as soon as the new players come in they're made to feel part of the group. That's important for everybody because they all know what’s expected from them.”
United Player subscribers can see video interviews with Greg Abbott and Josh Gillies on Friday and over the weekend. Click HERE to go to the Player platform. Follow the same link for more information on United Player, and to subscribe.