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" It's been great, I've had a good rest, a good three weeks rest, and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I've been on a couple of holidays, I've had a good break in the sun, I've been getting my feet up and getting a tan if I can. For the past two weeks I've been getting myself back fit. For the first two or three weeks I switched off a bit, I had my holiday and enjoyed my time off. Then for the past two and a half weeks now I have just had my mind set on getting fit, and making sure I am right for the 2nd of July.
" From Christmas to the end of the season it was great for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was really good to get a game and score a goal. From the start of the season to Christmas it was a struggle, I found it really hard and it took me six months to get into the team really. It's up to me now to try to get into the first team and I've shown the manager what I can do. Now he is expecting a bit more of me this season, so it's my job to force my way into the first team and start every game. I've got to be consistent when I do get the chance and play at the highest level I can.
" Competition can only be good for the team, there is plenty of competition so I can see training now already, it's going to be very intense. Everybody is going to be fighting for their places and we'll have Simon Hackney back as well so that will be like a new player, he wasn't involved for a big part of the season. We've all got our weights to go back, we have to make sure that we're either at that weight or a bit under. I'll be doing my utmost for that, if it means not eating for next week then I'll have to do that I think.
" Paul Thirlwell has played with Sunderland and captained Sunderland, Paul Murray has played for the England B team so it was great to play alongside them. I learned a lot off them, Chris Billy as well, and Chris Lumsdon, it was great to train with them. Every game I play I'm always learning, every game is a new experience, picking things up from players I play against and play with. You can learn as much as you can off other players but then it's up to you to go and do it yourself, and add your own bits to your own game.
" It was a massive disappointment to be released by Wigan, I was gutted and I remember being in tears in the office when Paul Jewell told me. If anything though it's been a blessing in disguise really, because I came to Carlisle and I have got 16 or 17 appearances under my belt and scored a goal. It was a great decision from Paul Jewell as far as I am concerned now. I watched the second-half of Wigan's last game on the TV, I didn't really want Wigan to go down, they survived by the skin of their teeth and they have got another season in the Premiership, we'll see how they do next season.
" It's very exciting next season, some big clubs and some great away days for the team and the fans. It's going to be very tough but we did really well last season and our aim is only to better that. If we do better that then the play-offs are there for us to get into. I think the manager (Neil McDonald) sees me as more of an attacking player, I feel as though I have got the fitness to get into the box, and keep making driving runs on into the box.
" The only thing I have to do now is learn when to make those runs and not make them all the time, because I am just going to end up tiring myself out. I feel as though I can do both an attacking and defensive job, without being too big-headed, but I feel as though as I've got the fitness levels. I'm definitely got the drive and the ambition to do both jobs so I'll just play wherever the manager puts me. "