New arrival Lukas Jensen got his first taste of football at Brunton Park on Saturday afternoon when he kept goal for the first half of the friendly against Championship newcomers Blackpool.
It was revealed that the 22-year-old had signed a season long loan deal from Burnley last week, with the highly-regarded stopper having already spent a fortnight training with the Blues.
Speaking about playing in front of fans after a prolonged period of lock outs, he said: “It’s been unbelievable. To be honest it’s hard to put words on it.
“To have the crowd back at the stadium, it’s the feeling you get from playing in front of this many fans that you can’t explain. It can only be a good start to the season and it’s what we need to push on.
“It’s what we’ve been waiting for, I would say for over a season now. We want to continue to progress in the way we have through the first few games.
“We played ok in this game, they got a lucky goal, but that’s how football goes sometimes. It’s an unbelievable feeling to have had the fans here to watch us though. It’s just great.
“I don’t know how many were here but it sounded like a lot. If we can get even more we’ll have a very good stadium.”
On the game itself, he commented: “They’re a Championship side now so you would expect them to dominate the ball.
“But it was a good test for us and what we really needed. We want to play against good teams and that’s why we appreciate games like this.
“Personally I really feel like I’m getting into the swing of things now. I was in Iceland before coming here and a pre-season over there isn’t the same as it is in England, I would say.
“There’s more pressure over here, which I like, and there are more fans coming to the games. I used my time in Iceland as a warm-up to pre-season because I knew I could come here and then start to focus on the work I have to do to push on.
“I’m here to play games so I will do my very best to make that happen. That’s the way for me to progress. We play a lot of games in League Two so I will do my best to keep playing and hopefully to get in the first team squad.”
Rewinding just slightly, we wondered how the move to join the Cumbrians had come about in the first place.
“I got the call from Chris [Beech] and we had a good conversation,” he revealed. “We were talking back and forth and he liked me, and I liked what the club is doing here.
“We have a very young squad and it’s been really easy for me to fit in. It’s a very good environment to be in, and I know what’s on the line for the squad.
“They all know that too and there’s a real focus because of that. If we can push on as a unit it will benefit us in the long run.
“The coaching staff at Burnley were very positive and they said it was a very good move for me to make. They know the gaffer here, and the keeper coach, and they told me it was a good place to be. I’m very delighted to be here and it’s a really good step as far as I’m concerned.”
“It’s the kind of move I’ve been waiting for and working towards,” he continued. “I was unlucky in Bolton, that’s why I took to Iceland, to play games, to really show that I can still play football, and play a lot of games.
“I played seven games, and we were undefeated, so that was a good start to pre-season. Then I came over here and it’s time for me to do it again.
“It’s a very important move for me now. As a young player you want to play games, not sit and do nothing. To do it in men’s football is what you need.
“You get a different type of experience, like when you play league football, because it’s so physical, and you get hit on the chest so to speak, so that’s what I need.”
And he confirmed that another factor in his decision making process was the similarity in the style of football played by Burnley and Carlisle.
“It is a little bit similar, and it’s probably a mixture of what I did in Iceland and at Burnley,” he told us. “I think it will benefit me that I’ve been used to playing that type of football, and I’m comfortable if we want to play out or go long.
“I know League Two is physical, especially on set pieces, but I think that’s something I’ll benefit from. I want to play a lot of games and gain experience, that’s all I really need right now.
“If I can play a lot of games and build up some good connections with the rest of the players, and the coaching staff as well as the fans, it will all benefit me in the long run.”
Answering the dreaded question about strengths and weaknesses, he said: “I’d say I’m a good shot stopper for my size. I’m 6”6 but I’m quite flexible for my height, sometimes people think bigger goalkeepers are a bit stiff.
“I like to use my size on crosses and corners, that will always be a strength for me because I’m so tall. I like to shout at my defenders as well, so I think I’m a good communicator, which will hopefully help the whole team.
“We’ve been working very hard as goalkeepers to push ourselves, it’s been great. We can push each other because Magnus is a very good keeper.
“We have the two young lads as well, so there will always be competition. To perform at the highest level you need competition in training and we’ll be creating that so we get the best out of each other.”
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