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Platt: I want to win promotion

Posted on: Thu 24 Jun 2010

When the signing of Conal Platt from Forest Green Rovers was announced late last week, I wonder if many United fans furrowed their brows as if to say 'I know that name from somewhere...' as I did. Cast your mind back to 20 February, away at the New Lawn. The U's were leading Forest Green 1-0 and looking comfortable, then a substitution brought on young speedster Conal Platt, playing on the right wing.

Platt then managed to singlehandedly take on the Cambridge defence from all angles, almost scoring twice before setting up the FGR equaliser, stretching our winless run to 12 games. Coming away from that game, Martin Ling had lodged the name of Conal Platt into his memory, and after a few more looks at the Preston born winger, Platt was signed into the United ranks from under the snouts of Wrexham, York and Mansfield just four months on.

"I remember that game well" recalls Platt, "It was one of my better games! The manager just told to go on and do what i do best, which is run at defenders and create chances". It's that sort of attitude to his football that attracted Ling to sign the former Liverpool trainee.

At Forest Green, and before then Weymouth, Platt has been used as a winger on both flanks and a striker, but he feels he can do a good job wherever he is asked to play. "When I started out at Liverpool, I played in the hole behind the striker and used my pace to support, but when I moved to Bournemouth I was asked to utilise my speed on the left wing. Sometimes injuries and selection saw me move up front, but out wide on the left is probably my main strength."

It's always nice for supporters to hear their new signing had turned down overtures from other clubs to sign for their beloved team, and that was exactly the case with Conal. "I had a few decisions to make, but as soon as I had spoke to Martin Ling my mind was made up. He explained what he wanted to do with the club, and that I could play a big part in that. This a big club and should be pushing for promotion again, which was one of the main draws." explains the 23-year-old, "And it also helped that my agent (Lee Philpott) had a good career here. He still keeps a very close eye on what goes on at the club and said they would be the best choice to develop my career".

People in football talk, and it would be silly for a player not to do his homework without digging around to find out about his possible new club, and more praise came in from an unlikely source. "I also had a long chat with Jon Challinor, who I got to know from his loan spell at Forest Green. Everyone knows things didn't go well for 'Challs' towards the end at Cambridge, but he had nothing but good things to say about the Club and the people. I remember he also said it was probably the most professional outfit he'd been at."

Born and bred in Preston, Lancashire, it means an uprooting of home comforts for Conal, as he'll be upping sticks to live in a shared house with three other as yet unnamed team-mates. Some players in the world of sport hate moving from home, but the ex-Cherries player appears to be chomping at the bit, for want of a better cliche.

"I'm buzzing. I really can't wait to get down there. I have no problem moving away for football, it's something you have to do if you want to progress in your career. I've done it before when I had to move to Bournemouth as a teenager, and you can't get much further away than that!"

"I'm a young single lad, and I have nothing to keep me back in Preston, so I just want to get the summer over with and get down to Cambridge so I can concentrate on my football".

Platt, who has had loan spells at Morecambe and fellow Conference Club Rushden & Diamonds, is single minded when asked about his aims and hopes for the season ahead.

"I want to win promotion. I want to score goals, set up goals and show the manager, team-mates and fans what I can do as a player. I'm confident in my own abilities that I can contribute and help team get back to where they should be, the Football League."

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Interview by Chris Vessey