Fleetwood striker Ashley Nadesan came in on-loan on a half-season deal during the January transfer window and insisted that he was here to prove to himself and others that he could make the step up from development football.
Two goals and two assists from the 23-year-old’s first three appearances have been complemented by two runaway victories in the club’s social media post-match man-of-the-match polls, and he admitted that confidence is high as he starts to make his mark in his chosen profession.
“My confidence is sky high at the moment,” he said. “All the lads keep giving me praise and the management team and staff are the same. I’m getting a lot of lovely messages through from people [on social media] as well.
“It literally just feels like a dream. It’s actually unreal. Somebody has got to pinch me so that I wake up soon because the feeling is so unreal.
“The unbelievable bit is that I’ve been able to score goals, get assists and get involved in the link-up play. It’s been a real chance for me to show everybody what I’m about. On a personal level it means a lot because it’s two goals and two assists in my last three games.”
Senior goal number one of his career came just seven minutes after he’d taken to the pitch with fellow substitutes Richie Bennett and Kris Twardek at The Hive, as part of a triple change made by manager Keith Curle as the Blues looked to turn up the heat and get back into the game.
“Being honest, it’s hard to get in to a game from the bench as you try to get up to the speed of play, but I think all three subs made an impact,” he commented. “On top of that it was the whole team performance which got us the three points in the end.
“Barnet are a team struggling down at the bottom at the moment and they’re always the hardest teams to play. We put in a gutsy performance and we pulled it out of the bag.
“For my first goal, as soon as I came on everyone was telling me to stay on the last shoulder and they’d find me, or they’d put the ball in the channel for me. That’s because they knew I’d get after it.
“We were told by the coaching staff when we were getting ready to get out there, give enthusiasm and effort and run the channels. I don’t think I could ever have imagined the actual impact it would have.
“I had it in my head to try to create a few chances and get a few shots off, but I never thought this would happen.
“It was a great flick from Richie [Bennett] to set me up but there were still loads of things going through my mind. I was going to knock it round the keeper and score that way, but then I saw that he was out of his area and he couldn’t use his hands. That’s why I just prodded it home.
“They’re the worst kind of chance, to be honest, because you have loads of time to think about it. Normally it’s a snapshot and that makes your mind up for you. I was just happy to score in the end because as soon as I got the equaliser you could see the tide changing.”
And on the feeling when the ball hit the back of the net, he said: “Seeing it go over the line makes it such a huge relief for me. I’m showing people at Fleetwood, Carlisle and everyone else who is watching what I can actually do.
“I’ve never had the experience of celebrating with fans before because there’s been a maximum of a hundred supporters at the games I’ve played at with my old clubs.
“It was nice to do it in front of our fans and to be able to celebrate with them. A few of my old team managers from Horley came and watched and I started to celebrate with them as well. To turn the game round for those who came to see us is a fantastic feeling.”
But with Jamie Devitt quietly telling everyone who will listen that the third Carlisle goal was his, despite video evidence to the contrary, it’s now down to the pair to slug it out for the right to claim another notch on the score sheet.
“It was definitely a brace for me, I definitely got a touch on the third goal,” Nadesan insisted. “I think people are putting it down as Jamie Devitt’s goal, but it was 100% me. Devitt’s crossed it, I got a little flick, it came off the defender, it went in.
“The main thing is the three points for Carlisle United. We all want to be moving up the table, so I think we’re all just happy with the win. I did score twice though, whatever he says!”
Part of the learning curve for the young forward since coming to Brunton Park has been to remain patient, a reminder of which came again on Tuesday night when his name wasn’t read out as part of the starting eleven.
“I wasn’t disappointed about that at all,” he commented. “Three games in a week is tough, and especially because I’ve just had my first ever league start.
“I tired a bit towards the end of Saturday’s game [against Chesterfield], if I’m being totally honest, so it’s the gaffer’s choice when it comes down to it. I’m happy to trust what he’s doing and the reasons why he’s doing it.”
Click HERE to watch an interview with Ashley Nadesan on iFollow United now.