The first of two signings today was 21 year old, Calvin McGrory a central midfielder who was with Queens Park last season. Calvin joined the Spiders as a youngster and spent his time working his way into their first team.
“I went to Queens Park when I was eight or nine and I came through every level of the youth system before making my first team debut about two years ago. I played a lot of games last year while at college but they were changing everything and they let me go so it was a case of trying to win a contract elsewhere and thankfully I’ve done that. As soon as I got the opportunity to come here, I was excited and hoped I could take my chance because as every young boy you want to be a full time footballer”.
Calvin has been with us throughout pre-season and has loved his time in a full-time set up “when I first came in on trial I really enjoyed it, all the boys were welcoming and I really enjoyed the training. This is my step up to full time training and I think the manager and all the boys have made it a very easy and welcoming place which has helped me enjoy it”.
“It’s better for me because all I’m doing is concentrating on football, rather than thinking about a job or university, so the fact that I wake up and go to bed and it’s all about football is a lot more beneficial”.
After more than a decade of his life at Queens Park, he has some fond memories but admits he knew his time was coming to an end once they started to make changes at the club. However, he feels that it’s probably for the best “I believe I did well there and played a lot of games at a younger age but a new manager coming in and with a different aspect of where they wanted to take the club there wasn’t much chance and not many of us got kept on. I knew it was coming; when you heard the way the club wanted to go so I didn’t get too worked up about it”.
“I was there a long time but that’s football; money plays a big part along with wanting to win trophies. It was disappointing as I’d grown up there and playing for Queens Park was all I knew and I managed to get all the way from a young boy to the first team so it was frustrating but if that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have got this opportunity so you’ve got to look at it in a good way”.
Grateful at having the chance to have a go at being a full time footballer, he plans to make the most of the opportunity “It’s an opportunity that I didn’t expect to come around but I’m really enjoying it and I feel that full time football is going to help me. I’m 100% going to grasp it with both hands, as it’s my first experience of full time I’m going to take it day by day and try to do as best as I can”.
Describing his style of play, Calvin said “I’m a midfielder who likes to get on the ball, can drive and get forward and create things, make things happen. I can do both sides of the game but I prefer to go forward, create things and score goals”.
One of a few midfielders to join Queens this transfer window, he is hoping to put those skills to good use and is looking forward to the challenge “The more competition the better, it means that training will be better and that people know they can’t slack because there’s others there waiting to take their chance. But the boys are good, there’s no rivalry, it’s all about the team so I think it will be healthy competition”.
On a personal level he is looking forward to a new challenge but his priority is doing well for the team “I’ve grown up the last few years. Playing down in league two you play hard games away from home but I feel this experience is going to help me a lot and I just hope that I can do well and prove myself and help the team”.
“Personally I just want to improve as a player and I think full time training is going to help that and for the team I just want the best and I would hope that we’ve got a good enough team to push on as high as possible”.