Winger Paddy Lane is happy with how things are going at the Club and has expressed his joy whilst out on international duty with the Northern Ireland senior men’s squad ahead of their busy fixture schedule in June.
Lane has had a brilliant first season with the Cods, winning the League One Young Player of the Year award whilst amassing 39 appearances, scoring five and assisting a further eight in that time and talks to the Irish BBC about his breakthrough into the first-team saying “it was surreal in the moment”.
“I got into the team and one thing led to another, and I started starting every week. It was one of those things, it was surreal in the moment, and it will be good to look back on, but I don’t really want to look back at the minute, I just want to keep going in one direction in a tunnel vision sort of thing.
“With the season itself that we had, Fleetwood stayed up which was superb for us, and the Young Player of the Season award last year with the international call up as well, it was a surreal moment but stuff I want to work on to make sure I get better in the future.”
The national side are set for a quadruple UEFA Nations League header, starting with Greece at home, with further games against Cyprus (home and away) and Kosovo to follow and Lane is hoping to build onto his debut, which he earned back in March against Hungary.
Paddy added: “Last time was my first camp with the seniors and all the lads welcomed me really well and the staff were brilliant with me. It was a bit surreal last time and this time I just want to kick on and carry on the good work that I did last time. You’ve got to take your opportunities where they come, wherever it may be, and hopefully, I can do that.
“It’s brilliant to get these personal accolades, but I will continue to say this after earning each one that may come in the future, I wouldn’t be where I am without the support of my family, my team-mates, and the staff around me that I’ve worked with because they are all putting work in with me and that is where the accolade has come from."
Head Coach Ian Baraclough handed Lane his international debut earlier on in the year as he came off the bench in a friendly against Hungary and seemed to impress the staff and fans there, with him being invited to the next training camp, which was held at St. George’s Park in Burton.
At that training camp, Baraclough said that it was "great for me to see how they worked together", meaning all of the new recruits to the first team, including Lane and the likes of Dan Ballard, Ali McCann, and Shayne Lavery.
“What the kids will bring is energy and enthusiasm. They will handle themselves and it will bring a real energy to the group. They know what it is like to come into a new environment and know what it takes to feel your way into the group. Even the likes of Dan Ballard and Ali McCann, who experienced it a couple of years ago, have already gone into that middle group if you like," said Baraclough.
The Northern Irish side, who are top seeds in League C Group 2, begin their third Nations League campaign with a home game against Greece on 2 June, with two more away trips to Cyprus (5 June), and Kosovo (9 June), before returning to Belfast to face the Cypriots on 12 June.
Keep up the good work, Pad!