New signing Darnell Johnson spoke to the club at Poolfoot Farm after putting pen-to-paper on Monday afternoon.
The 22-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal with the Cods, brings experience at League One level, as he played for both Wigan Athletic and AFC Wimbledon last season, and has also represented England at Under-16 to Under-20 levels.
Leicester-born Johnson has already had a taste of football at Highbury as was part of the squad who beat Leeds United 2-1 on Friday - where Shayden Morris and Ged Garner both found the net on the night – and the Cod Army instantly took a shine to the way the central defender plays.
Here’s what Darnell had to say in his first interview:
On the move…
“I feel very happy with the move - I’m delighted to get this opportunity and just want to come in now and hit the ground running. The lads have been great, it’s a very tight group. Everyone’s around the same age and are good characters in the changing room so I feel like I’m going to enjoy my time here.
“I think the Leeds experience was a good one on Friday. It’s been a long time since fans have been in stadiums, so I enjoyed both the atmosphere and the game itself. We love playing in front of supporters as footballers, working hard for them, I really did enjoy it.
“I’m aiming to get as much game time as possible for me to improve, and for me and the rest of the lads, we are looking to finish as high as possible in the league and hopefully make a push for promotion.
On the season ahead…
“I spoke to the manager before joining about the history of the club, his targets for the year, what he wants to do. When he spoke to me about taking my career to the next level, I think Fleetwood is the perfect platform for me to push on with my career.
“For me playing in League One last year, I know that it is a league that anyone can beat anyone and if we have a good start to the season, and with how the lads are in the team, I think we have the ability to look towards the top part of the table.”
On his career to date…
“I’m an all-round versatile defender so I can play across the back four, and I’d like to say that I’m a mix of old-school and new school so I can do the no-nonsense, don’t let anything through defender, or I can be the get the ball down and play defender who can create things.
“I feel like last year I learned a lot from my experience in League One whilst at Wigan and Wimbledon. I learned what to do where and how to manage games, and how demanding Saturday-Tuesday games can be - I feel like all of that has helped me become a better player.”
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