Talk:Rod Thomas (English footballer)

Interview

This was on the article page, I don't know the source of it but it might be useful if anyone ever wishes to expand the page.

Former United winger Rod Thomas spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria on Friday evening as he talked about his upcoming appearance for Carlisle in the Masters tournament in mid-June, Thomas also chatting about where his career has taken him since he left Brunton Park :

" I hope the shirt will fit me, I had great memories when I was there at Carlisle and great supporters, so it's an honour to be able to put the shirt back on and play in the first Masters for Carlisle. It will be my first Masters, I must admit that I have been asked, Watford asked me last actually, I'm surprised they still remembered me as it was that long ago. They did ask me but unfortunately I was injured, but I've played a few games as in testimonials for my friends obviously that have finished football now, so hopefully I'm in reasonable shape.

" I left in 1998 and from Carlisle I went to Chester, I was there for 18 months and then Brian Horton took me down to Brighton, which I was there for three years. Micky Adams was my last manager, I had actually another year and a half left but for various reasons which we couldn't sort out I decided to leave Brighton.

" From there I was in the non-league circuit for a while, before going over to America to start coaching, which I was there for probably about two years, 2003 and 2004. Which is what I do now, I do a lot of coaching, as I'm sure as people know up there Dean Walling has got his own soccer schools in Lincoln himself. I'm doing certain coaching work for schools and for the community in Harrow and all around the North London region.

" It was 1993 when I came to Brunton Park, I had three or four great years there. Basically before I signed Mick Wadsworth was telling me exactly what he was looking to do, because prior to that unfortunately Carlisle were going through some hard times if I recall, avoiding relegation by literally points really. So when Mick Wadsworth took over he assured me what he was looking to do, because there were a few clubs at the time that I could have gone to. "

" Watford were still in the old Division One, which is the Championship now, Reading and a couple of other teams came in but I had known Mick Wadsworth for a while through the England set-up. I had good trust in him and a lot of faith, fortunately even though at the time I didn't realise how far it was, it was a long trip. Within that first season I think that we made the play-offs, which we lost out to Wycombe, but it was momentum. You could tell that the club was going, the supporters felt it, the players and the staff felt that. It carried on from there really.

" I saw Reevesey (David Reeves) playing in the Masters. That sort of period we had a lot of team spirit, the team spirit was tremendous. Win, lose or draw we always stuck together, and we had a couple of nights out which was always good for morale boosting as well. Regarding all that team, Jamie Robinson, Dean Walling, Stefan Pounewatchy, even Kona (Hislop) who was there for a while. Various people, you see Rory Delap, Lee Peacock you see every so often, and Matt Jansen.

" That era was good in a sense, because I always believe that when you leave a club it just goes to show how much you were together if you are still keeping in contact nine, ten or eleven years later. I was back up there for the Southend game recently, and for me it was just nice to actually have a rapport with the true supporters and just actually speak to them.

" Because when you are in that circle, when you are playing it's so intense and so stop-start sort of thing, before you know it you have got another game. So just to actually go back up and catch up with the old and the young supporters, I've had people that were bigger than me saying that they used to watch me when they were 12. For me it's quite surreal really. I've got the deep heat out so I am going to start putting it on from now, so I should be alright. I'm sure I'll last a bit longer than five minutes at the Masters, I'll be OK. "

BulbaThor (talk) 15:30, 11 July 2012 (UTC)