Winger Paddy McCourt revealed that he is looking forward to making his debut for the club that he almost joined as a youngster, after joining Notts County on loan.
McCourt joined Notts on an emergency loan deal until the end of the season from Sky Bet Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, but revealed when talking to the media on Thursday that he had a trial at Meadow Lane as a youngster.
The 31-year-old was already well acquainted with new team-mates Roy Carroll, who he plays with at international level, and Gary Jones, who he knew earlier in his career when the pair were at Rochdale together, and he admitted that this had helped him settle in at Notts.
“I’ve known Roy a long time and obviously we play together on the international scene, so it’s always nice when you know someone when you walk into a new changing room and I’ve known Gary Jones for a long time too, from my Rochdale days, years ago, so it’s good to know people when you first come in,” McCourt told the media on Thursday, adding that he was looking forward to secure regular first team football.
“Like everyone else I’ve got to try and fight for my place, but once I get it I plan to keep hold of it. I like to try and attack and create and score goals, so fingers crossed I’ll be able to help the team.
“It’s a ridiculously tight league and a couple of results either way can swing things, but at the minute we have to be looking upwards, until towards the end of the season, if you’re still down round there, then you can start worrying about that but for the meantime, with 14, 15 games to go you have to look onwards and upwards.”
It was towards the end of the media session that McCourt revealed that he had come close to joining Notts as a youngster, having had a trial with the club, but having failed to secure a move on that occasion he is now looking forward to making his long-awaited debut for the club this weekend.
“I was about 15 or 16, it was just a couple of months before I ended up signing for Rochdale,” he added. “A scout back home, Gerry Doherty, used to send some players over and they actually signed a goalkeeper, Saul Deeney, that was here, but I came in and they let me go, so hopefully I’ll make my debut now on Saturday and I can show them they made a mistake 15 years ago!”
Subscribers can see the full interview with Paddy McCourt on Magpie Player.