Blackpool striker dicsusses end of season award

Blackpool Gazette

Ashley Fletcher was named as Blackpool's fans player of the season at the club's awards dinner on Monday night.

Transcript

00:00I was going to say, you probably would have been surprised to be told about this back in September,

00:03but where do you react? Are you surprised if you were told 20 minutes ago about it?

00:07Yeah, honestly, genuinely, like I said up there, I think of course I've had a decent second half of

00:13the season, definitely, but I think there's players probably deserving more than me. But

00:19ultimately, I'm really grateful. I didn't expect it at all, of course, but that's really, really

00:26nice that the fans have been able to change their opinion on me as well.

00:31I know on stage you joked about your mum and dad about it for you, did your mind really not expect it at all?

00:35Not at all, no. I came here with no expectations at all. I genuinely thought that, to be fair,

00:41Holly Casey, Lee Evans, Albie Morgan, just to name three, there's been so many Adela Fire-like,

00:49have been consistently performing all season. And like I say, I'm happy with the way I perform from

00:58November onwards, of course, but for me, I'm genuinely surprised, but really grateful at the same time.

01:06Best things come when they come as a surprise.

01:08Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, no, of course. Listen, I think me and Evo was just joking then,

01:15saying, I think it's going to be an Oli Casey clean sweep and Oli might as well just go on stage,

01:19stand up on the stage. No, but genuinely, I didn't expect it, of course, but really happy as well.

01:26Did you hesitate standing up, thinking?

01:28Yeah, I thought it was a bit of a wind-up to me. But no, like I said, honestly, it just shows,

01:36hopefully, what I'm trying to do here in terms of kick on. I'm just really excited for next season now.

01:45Yeah, from the years at Harrogate, maybe being a bit of a scapegoat at times, to where you are now,

01:49is that a physical representation of how far you have come?

01:52Yeah, it's just a little bit of recognition, definitely. But I know the job that I came here

01:59is not done. I think when I came here and I signed, the club was hopeful of getting in the playoffs,

02:06and that was the aim. And obviously, we haven't achieved that, unfortunately. But I do believe that

02:10next year we'll be better equipped with the experience that we've had this year,

02:15and changing system. Personnel may change, but I think that the core of what we're trying to do

02:22is still going to be here. And hopefully, I can be a massive part of that again next year.

02:27Yeah, you're going to look back at the seasons of warm-up for next year?

02:29I would like to think so, yeah. Hopefully, we're just getting started. But yeah, more goals,

02:35more assists. Definitely, for me, if I can have a full season of consistency, as opposed to

02:41however many months it was. But no, really happy, and let's hopefully do a better season next year.

02:49Obviously, with love of fans and your best form for years, does Bloomfield Road

02:52truly feel like home?

02:53Yeah, definitely. I've just said it, yeah. Not just Bloomfield Road, but the training ground and

02:59being in around yourself, it's somewhere where, yeah, the satisfaction of obviously coming in and

03:07it not going so well to start with and having to start again and really rebuild my career,

03:14it just feels like now is the right time for me to, well, I am settled. There's no two ways about it,

03:20and hopefully I can remain here for a long time.

03:23Is that all you've been waiting for? Somewhere to settle somewhere where the small things just click

03:27and everything goes without it. Exactly, yeah, exactly that. And reminding myself of what's important,

03:33which is ultimately feeling loved where you're playing football and where your job is. And yeah,

03:40I was out on loan three, four times the last three years and that's no good for anyone really. So,

03:48for me to come here, cut our ties and really put down roots,

03:52I'm really happy with, like I say, the last few months, but we need to go again next year and be

04:00better as well. Yeah, just find it must be nice to go into a summer thinking, well, I know where

04:05I'm at. I'm not going. I'm not being asked boring questions about welcome to the club and all that.

04:10Yeah, I can go away in the summer for the first time in a long time and

04:15have a good rest for the next couple of weeks. But then, yeah, as soon as June hits, be ready to go

04:20and straight into pre-season and let's see what we can do next year. Cheers, man. Congratulations.

04:25Thank you very much.

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