Liam Hogan, Graham Alexander’s third summer signing of the close season, says he is really excited to have joined Fleetwood Town and has immediately stated he is going to be pushing for a spot in the
By Tom BestwickLiam Hogan, Graham Alexander’s third summer signing of the close season, says he is really excited to have joined Fleetwood Town on a two-year deal and has immediately stated he is going to be pushing for a spot in the starting line-up.
The 24-year-old defender has completed his move from Halifax Town, who have just been promoted to the Blue Square Bet Premier Conference after defeating Brackley Town in the play-off final earlier this month.
Hogan, who can operate as at either centre half or at right full back, is taking his first steps into league football after a three year spell with Halifax and he believes he is ready for the challenge of helping Fleetwood build on last season and push for promotion to npower League 1 this time around.
“I am over the moon. I am really excited to be here,” Hogan said. “Coming on the back of the success with Halifax what with going up as play-off winners and going up into the Conference. I have been there three years now and I feel that I have had a really successful time there but I think now is the right time to move on and step up on to a new challenge.
“I think with Fleetwood you have a club that is going places like Halifax who have come up through the non-leagues to get where they are now and I am absolutely over the moon that I can take the opportunity with Fleetwood and hopefully I will have great time here.
“I played centre half down at Halifax, I moved out to right back on a couple of occasions and that is one of my strengths. I like to carry the ball out as far as I can and get the ball and play football.”
Hogan made 37 appearances last season and played a key part in helping Halifax gain promotion back to the fifth tier of English football and played alongside former Town striker Gareth Seddon.
Hogan says he wishes Halifax luck in their first season back in the Conference, but his eyes are firmly now on the challenge ahead with Fleetwood Town.
“It was great to go up through the play-offs, unfortunately we didn’t quite get enough points to go up as champions, but it felt just as good to be going up through the play-offs and into the Conference.
“We had Gareth Seddon down there and he was really great with the lads. He has been working really hard and has contributed this year and helped us to get back to the Conference, hopefully we will meet up with them (Halifax) again and I wish Halifax all the best of luck for next season, but I have got a new challenge now and I am really looking forward to it.”
With Town players not reporting back for pre-season now until early July, Hogan says he is looking forward to having a few weeks to rest up before meeting up with his new team-mates and lay down the gauntlet as he looks to claim a first team spot for the upcoming season.
“I have a little break coming up now, and it will be nice to get away for a little bit before and then when I come back there will still be a couple of weeks before we come back to work, so I am going to get plenty of rest.
I’ll be raring to go for pre-season and to meet the new lads and hopefully we will go from strength to strength and I’ll be pushing to try and be a strong contender to be in the starting 11.”
Image thanks to BEG/JP
