After becoming the first Spartans player in twenty years to sign a professional contract at a Football League club, defender Nathan Buddle expressed his gratitude to the club for their part in his development. The twenty one year old centre back put pen to paper at SkyBet League Two club Carlisle United on Monday, meaning he is the first Spartan since Paul O’Connor in 1995 to join a professional club, O’Connor joining Buddle’s former club Hartlepool United.
Now, as he prepares for the challenges of the professional game, Buddle admitted that he had a lot of fond memories from his time at Croft Park and was wholesome in his praise of many key figures at the club.
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone at Spartans. From the day I signed I have enjoyed every minute at a fantastic club and I have to thank Tom Wade, Colin Myers, John Bottensien and Bev Doherty, and everybody behind the scenes from the Media Team to the Kitman and Groundsman. It was always my ambition to get back into the pro game and honestly I couldn’t have been at a better club to do it”
After all of his praise for the off-field staff at Croft Park, Buddle also had some special words for his former team mates and expressed his hopes that the club would achieve the pre-season target of a play-off place in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League.
“I have to wish the lads all of the very best for the rest of the season. They are a brilliant group of players and I hope to see them where they belong in the play-offs at the end of the season. I will be supporting them as much as I can and have to thank them for everything”
In his eighteen months at Spartans the Amble-born centre back eighty three appearances, scoring five goals during that time. He was part of the Spartans squad that finished runners up in the Northumberland Senior Cup and captained an England ‘C’ representative side during his time at Croft Park, although he revealed that there was one special memory that will live with him for a long time to come.
“One thing I will never forget from my time at Blyth is the FA Cup run. From the Qualifying Rounds when I had to sit and bite my nails watching the game at Leek Town, to beating Altrincham and the club I left to join Spartans, Hartlepool United. And obviously even though we didn’t win, the Birmingham City game was massive. I had never seen Croft Park so full and the Green Army were, as they always were, immense”
While Spartans have benefitted from the cup run, Buddle also felt that it had given him a second chance to carve out a career in the professional game with Carlisle United, as he looks to learn from the Cumbrians manager Keith Curle, the former Manchester City centre back who earned three England caps during his long career.
“The run we had has earned me the opportunity to play for Carlisle and I couldn’t be any more grateful for that. Now I look forward to the next chapter in my career and learning from a manager that has played in my position in the Premier League and for England. I hope that I can develop as a player and work my way into the team by taking all of his advice on board”
Thank you to Amy Nixon from Carlisle United’s media team for the title photo