Northampton Town: Clarke Sixfields switch down to boss Boothroyd
Cobblers players training at Goals, Mereway. New signing Clarke Carlisle.
CLARKE CARLISLE admits he turned down ‘one or two offers’ to join the Sixfields survival bid.
And the Burnley centre-back, who has joined Cobblers on loan for the rest of the season, says boss Aidy Boothroyd was the inspiration behind his move south.
Carlisle and Boothroyd linked up at Watford, finding the magic formula as the Hornets won a shock promotion to the Premier League in 2005.
The centre-back admits the Town manager is ‘synonymous’ with some of the high points in his football career, and he’s hoping the good memories now continue to roll at the Cobblers.
“It’s phenomenal, it really is,” said Carlisle when asked about his reunion with Boothroyd.
“Aidy is synonymous with some of the happiest times of my career.
“Whenever you’re involved in a squad that’s successful you reflect fondly on those times.
“That season at Watford when we were favourites for relegation and a band of misfits got to the Premier League it was a phenomenal time, it really was.
“I’m wholly aware of what Aidy’s capable of, I’m wholly aware of his passion, his charisma, his ethos and I have no doubts that he will be able to transform the dressing room into some semblance of winners.”
And he added: “With all due respect to Northampton Town, but I would have hesitated a lot longer to put myself in a position of Football League survival had Aidy not been at the helm.
“There are only a handful of managers I trust implicitly and Aidy is one of them.”
But Boothroyd, Carlisle & co have a massive task on their hands if they are to secure the Cobblers’ place in the Football League for next season.
The club currently sits bottom of npower League Two, with just one win in the last 18 league games.
Carlisle could easily have returned to Burnley, after mutually ending his loan spell at Preston North End, but he says he’s never been a fan of the easy life.
“There were one or two offers, yes,” said Carlisle.
“One of them was to go back to Burnley and sit there for the rest of the season but that’s not in my make-up.
“I’m not one of these guys who just sit there and pick up a pay cheque. I love my job, I love football and I love showing people what I can do.
“Hopefully I can come down here, play some football and show I’m worthy of a place in the starting 11.”
Carlisle is almost certain to start in the crunch clash against Macclesfield at Sixfields on Saturday as Boothroyd aims to get his side back to winning ways.
And the 32-year-old centre-back speaks like a young pro just starting to make his way in the game when asked about the possibility of making his Cobblers debut this weekend.
“It’s incredible,” said Carlisle, who has made a total of 481 appearances during a career which has encompassed seven different clubs.
“This is what football is all about, the debut games, first time you score for a team.
“The feelings can’t be replicated in any other arena, for me, for someone who loves football. I’m really looking forward to it.”
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FranklyFrank
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:05 PMI blame Keith Weller!
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Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 02:14 PMWhy is he wearing tights?
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