Fleetwood Town forward Carlos Mendes Gomes sat down with the local media ahead of Saturday’s Sky Bet League One fixture against Shrewsbury Town
After scoring his first goal for the Cod Army in last weekend’s 1-1 draw away at Portsmouth, the Luton Town loanee says he’s enjoying his time on the Fylde Coast and is ready for the match against the Salops.
Here’s what the forward had to say in his pre-match press conference:
On his time so far at Fleetwood Town….
“I had a tough start to my time here at Fleetwood Town by getting injured in the first game and then coming back and then being set back with an issue, but my time here has been great so far. I have settled in really well and the staff and players have taken me in from the get-go and the whole place feels like a family environment, so I am delighted to be here.
"I knew everyone had my back and people have put their arms around me as it’s not easy when you get injured so quickly after joining and that has helped me come out the other side and now, I am fully ready to help the team out.
"League One is a very good league. There are some big Club’s in this league with the likes of Derby County and Ipswich and for me I find it very interesting, and I feel that we have a squad that is capable of doing something special this season and it’s about taking our chances and also turning those draws into wins.
"For me it was a big step up to the Championship [Moving from Morecambe to Luton Town] from League Two but for me the first few months were difficult as it took me time to adapt and get used to the area I was staying in and the quality of the players but after that, I was fine, I didn’t feel out of place and the lads there helped me settle in. “
On the last five years…
“It has been a bit surreal, especially knowing where I was five years ago but it was a challenge, and one I was willing to take, and the staff have helped me a lot and also get me to where I am.
"The last five years for me have been interesting. It is one of those where if you knew where I was five years ago, you might not have thought I would be where I am now or be working as hard as I have or even carrying on but playing non-league and college football and then moving to the Championship and now being at a League One club, it’s a hell of a journey. I am a very ambitious person and I know where I want to be.
“It would be great for me to help Fleetwood Town reach the play-offs and help them on their journey. I do see some similarities to my time at Morecambe. I do like the role as an underdog, and I don’t mind being like that. At the end of the day, it’s 11v11 and it doesn’t matter about the badge, it’s about how much you’re willing to do to get the win and I believe we have good players here and we are not scared of anyone. If we take the three points, it’s all that matters.”
On being a hard team to beat and turning draws into wins…
“We know we are a hard team to beat, and we never give up. It’s all about turning those draws into wins and as time goes on, we are all learning about each other’s and knowing each other’s games and hopefully we can now score more goals and get those wins.
“We just need to take it game by game and make our home a fortress and just keep going and we know if we get that first goal then we can be a force in this league. As an attacking player, you just want to score goals and that is how you enjoy your football but we are judged by that and to help to team win is key, but we need to score more than other teams and that’s the plan on loan.
“Playing often is want you want to do as a player and I know it’s not easy for a manager to actually play a whole squad but for me, I want to play as many games as possible and as many minutes as possible so I can enjoy my football and that will help me and also help the team.”