We spoke to Cedwyn Scott, after the striker penned a deal at Brunton Park.
He began by speaking about his excitement at returning to Carlisle, where he spent a short period of time in the 2020/21 season.
“The move has been in the works for a few weeks now, so I’m delighted to finally get it done and be back here. Although it looks a lot different to what it was when I was here a few years ago, for the better that is. I just can't wait to get going and get back in training with the lads.”
Cedwyn then spoke about his career, and his previous stint at Brunton Park:
“I found it a little bit frustrating when I was here the first time to not pick up more minutes or more opportunities, but in football that's how it goes sometimes. Then I made the decision to step away a few levels and go to Gateshead.
“Even though I did get the chance to come back here in pre-season and train, I thought for myself I needed to go and prove myself and climb the leagues. Off the back of that, I ended up a great season under the current management staff. That's one of the main reasons that I want to come back here and work under them again and get moving in the right direction.
“Following a good season there, I had another one with Notts County the following year. Really, really memorable one that will live with me forever, really. That one is well documented and I really enjoyed my time there, but I think it's time for a new challenge now.”
Cedwyn netted the penalty that sent Notts County in to the EFL, we asked him about that specific moment, and what was running through his mind, he said:
“I just try to block everything out. I just remember walking up to the penalty spot, not being able to feel my legs.
“I was a little bit nervous and with what happened at Wrexham a few weeks before that, an opportunity now presented itself to either make the Wrexham one feel a whole lot worse or completely forget about it but make up for it in a way.
“Obviously, I was delighted to be able to put that one away. After that, as I was saying to you before, I think that was the last goal I've really properly celebrated where I just lost my head, it was amazing.
Cedwyn then touched on Tom Weal’s impact on that penalty. With Tom being the goalkeeping coach at Notts County at that time:
“Yeah, to be fair to Tom, he was excellent in the build-up to that. He brought a lot of insight.
“I've not been playing football forever, but I've been in the game quite long and never really considered a lot of the things that he brought to the table.
“He told us to go up, pick our spot, don't change our mind. We worked on routines and a little pause before you take the penalty and a lot of psychology behind it rather than just technique.
“To be fair to him, it was instrumental in us gaining promotion.”
This then led into discussing more about the staff, with Cedwyn having worked with them before. He said:
“Yeah, I played with the gaffer, so I know exactly what he's about, what he was like as a player.
"Now, to see him and work with him as a manager, I know exactly what I'm getting and I think he knows what he's getting with me. Hopefully, we can just carry on that really good relationship that we had previously.”
Reflecting on his career so far, we asked Cedwyn what he had learned since his last spell at the club. He explained:
“I've definitely grown up and matured and gained a lot of experience and had a couple of back-to-back promotions as well, which players can go their full careers and not experience a promotion.
“Things like that. That's one of the reasons I want to come here. I know the club's not at the right end of the table at this moment in time, but I feel like there's a real chance of promotion again.
“I love that feeling when you're fighting for something come the end of the season and the fans are on board and all the players are striving for the same thing. It's a better feeling and that's what you want to come into work every day and experience and have that environment where you're trying to achieve something special.”
In a very open chat, Cedwyn then spoke about his battle with mental health issues, which had seen him have some time out of the game. He said:
“I took some time out of the game and it was pretty well documented. That was needed and the Notts County fans and the Notts County staff were excellent during that time. The manager and Jenny, the secretary, she was checking in with me every day and that was massive for me. It really got me through.
“I also seeked professional help with the counsellor, which I would advise everybody to do who is in a difficult place.
“In football, there's lots of highs and lows and it's about dealing with them.
“At the end of the day, we're all just humans and we want to come into work and we're doing the best we can do. Nobody means to make any mistakes or does anything deliberately, so we just want to work with nice, like-minded people and, like I said before, hopefully achieve great things.”
“We feel things the same as other people feel and we also feel the negative emotions just as much as fans feel. The fans, unfortunately, don't get to see behind the scenes, the dressing room and the emotions after a game and all of that.
“We are human beings and we feel everything the same as what the fans do and we want to share that success rather than negative moments.”
Cedwyn then spoke directly to anyone who may be struggling themselves, saying:
“Firstly, I think you've got to recognise it and realise where you are and how it's affecting you and then try and go through the appropriate channels to seek that advice, whatever that may be. There's a lot more these days out there to raise awareness and things like that and, unfortunately, there's been a few cases recently where they've not ended well through people that I've known and mutual friends, which is really hard to see.
“Nobody wants to see things like that and I would just say there's definitely always a light at the end of the tunnel and no matter how tough things get, you will always come out the other side on the right side. So, yeah, just try and be as aware as possible and look out for your friends really. My friends have been massive for me, checking in every day, speaking to them.
"My best friend lives a few doors down and just invited me over to sit on his sofa and minor things like that. It doesn't have to be monetary gestures or anything like that. It's just a message and these things are free in life.”
We then moved on to speaking about the move to Carlisle, we asked Cedwyn when he first learned of the interest, he said:
“I've always spoke to Mike and Busty [Ian Watson] throughout my career because they're great people and they want to see me do well, so they've always checked in and things like that. It's been in the works for a little bit now.
“I've wanted to get back up here and work on a project. Like I said earlier in the interview, to achieve great things. I'm completely aware of the position the club is in, but I would love to be one of the players to turn it around and play a big part in that.
“I know what they think of me and I just want to essentially run through a brick wall for them and share that success and see them do well. If it's also me doing well, then that's great.”
On moving back North, closer to home, Cedwyn said:
“Obviously the weather's not always great up here. Looks like I could probably go skiing today. I like being up here and I feel like back home and under this management staff I can hopefully score a few goals and play my best football.”
He then discussed his contact with Rob Clarkson so far:
“He's been brilliant to be honest. Him and my agent have been class working through the deal and stuff like that.
“It was fairly straightforward. There was no massive long negotiations. I'm just happy to be here. I just want to get going.”
On familiar faces in the dressing room, Cedwyn then added:
“I've caught up with a few old faces that are still here from when I was here the first time, which has been nice. So yeah, I look forward to meeting the lads.
“And they're all great lads as well. I loved my time here the first time. Training was great and those lads helped that. So yeah, I'll hopefully meet them in the coming days and get cracking really.”
We then asked about the current situation, and how keen Cedwyn is to help the club climb the table, and how he’ll contribute to that. He responded:
“I'm not going to put any numbers on anything or any timescales. It's going to be as simple as turn up tomorrow for training, train the best I can, turn up the next day.
“The manager likes to work one day at a time. I can only give what I can give tomorrow. I can't affect Saturday too much.
“I can obviously in the build-up, but my focus is on every next day and then every game and it’s bit of a boring answer, but that's the way it's got to be, I think, to achieve success.”
Cedwyn then described his game, for any fans that aren’t familiar:
“Well, I had a laugh before doing the medical because I was asked about position. I'm a fairly versatile forward player, but I like to get in the box and score goals and sort of maybe bring a little bit of excitement.
“I'm pretty versatile anywhere across the front line really.”
On his aims going forward, Cedwyn said:
“Well, this season, let’s not beat around the bush. It's to stay up and make sure the club's playing in the Football League next year and then in the summer it's to have a really good pre-season and kick on again.
“But I'm not really focusing on next year at the minute, I'm focusing on getting ready for Saturday.”
Finally, Cedwyn ended with a message to the fans:
“Keep turning up. Obviously, the support is great.
“I never, unfortunately, got to experience it the first time properly with it being COVID. But I played here with Notts County back in October, and that second half when the fans got up, it was really tough. Really, really tough.
“We were under the cosh for a while there. And I looked at the team and thought this isn't a team that deserves to be down there.”
