Nathan Craig

[Dutchgull]

From what you say Jordan I hope we sign him too. I am sure we could help him and he could help us.

[Gullscorer]

He should be happy enough in Torquay and South Devon. In fact he will find the whole of Devon a great county (rhymes with heaven), if he avoids Plymouth and Exeter.. =D

[popside_yidlad]

That would be me and I was directly quoting someone who works for the club. Someone I have known for years. So no offence but I trust this person. Maybe he come across like thst at first due to nerves. We all know they can be diceving

[popside_yidlad]

I would just like to say that from what I saw in the reserve game he prob covered more ground than anyone else. He certainly impressed and dont remember him arguing with officials so from what 'jordan?' said earlier maybe was nerves. I certainly hope he is as grounded as I first thought after reading his story. He needs bit of work positionally, strengthen a bit and in tackle but he has all the raw technical attributes to be a fantastic player. He certainly has a sweet left foot

[harpenden gull]

I dont understand from the 'triallist' status as to whether he can play league 2 games;can he be in the squad for tomorrow, has he travelled,might he play? Having said that it would be sad to knock Steven's confidence whe he has started to show real form and composure but Craig impressed a few people in the reserve fixture.

[ferrarilover]

That would be me and I was directly quoting someone who works for the club. Someone I have known for years. So no offence but I trust this person. Maybe he come across like thst at first due to nerves. We all know they can be diceving

So has known Craig for what, 10 minutes? Trust him all you like, when a geezer who has evidently known him for a long time and knows him well tells us that he is a decent lad, I'll trust that report.

Matt.

[Jeff]

I dont understand from the 'triallist' status as to whether he can play league 2 games;can he be in the squad for tomorrow, has he travelled,might he play? Having said that it would be sad to knock Steven's confidence whe he has started to show real form and composure but Craig impressed a few people in the reserve fixture.

No he won't play - as he's on trial he is still registered with Caernarfon Town, so can only appear for us in non-competitive games (i.e friendlies or reserve games). In any case, he may need international clearance I assume, as he'll currently be registered with the FAW

[SuperNickyWroe]

Southampton. :~D

Awaits response from Dave...

post of the month.

[tufcbrett]

Inresting to see on Twitter hes playing for the reserves again tomorrow. Anyone know how hes doing? Must be doing ok if hes still getting a chance?

[Gulliball]

This is a fresh interview with him today (30th Jan) for an Everton magazine. Interesting bits for us in bold. Seems we'll make a decision on him after tomorrow but he's done well enough for us to keep him this long.

There'd surely be room for Bodin/Another senior player and Craig in the squad? Tomorrow could be quite a big day for us.

http://royalblueview.wordpress.com/2012 ... interview/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On 17th December 2009, Nathan Craig achieved every Evertonian’s dream as he pulled on the royal blue shirt to face BATE Borisov in the Europa League. Sadly, that proved to be the Welshman’s only appearance for the club he had joined aged 12, as he was released in the Summer 2011 transfer window. Nathan has since stepped back down the footballing ladder but maintains hope of returning to league football. RoyalBlueView caught up with the Wales under-21 international…

RoyalBlueView: “Hi Nathan, thanks for agreeing to speak to RoyalBlueView. How did the opportunity to join Everton come about – and what was it like for a young lad from Caernarfon to join a Premier League side?”

Nathan Craig: “I was spotted playing for my district in a tournament at Porthmadog when I was 9 years old, against teams along the coast such as Fflint and Queensferry. But, due to travelling distances, I had to wait until I was the right age to sign for the academy. It’s massive for any Welsh person especially from the area that I’m from. The chances do not come around so often and there are also a lot of Evertonians living throughout Wales.”

RBV: “You rose through the ranks at Everton and appeared frequently for the club’s under-18 and reserve sides. Who were the stand-out players in those teams, and do you still keep in touch with many of them?”

NC: “I used to play in a lot of tournaments in which Jack Rodwell was also involved and I could tell straight away that one day he would go on and play for the first team – which he did. Another player I was expecting to progress and become a first-team regular was John Paul Kissock, known around the academy as ‘JP’. He was a gifted footballer, and although he was two years older than me I used to train with him a lot (with the under-15s, under-16s and under-18s). It was very difficult to get the ball off him! I thought he had a better chance of making it into the first team than Jack Rodwell did, but for some reason that wasn’t to be and to this day I am still wondering why he didn’t make it. I tend to keep in touch with some of the lads now over Twitter (RBV: you can follow Nathan by clicking here) and mainly speak with the people I used to stay with at the lodge.”

RBV: “Tell us a bit about your style of play – position, strengths etc…”

NC: “To be honest I don’t really know what position suits me the best! I was moved around whilst at Everton; I was playing left back, left wing, right wing and also centre midfield so it’s hard for me to say which position is my best. I think my strengths are passing, crossing, shooting and set pieces so I’d say I’m a very technical player with good stamina. My weaknesses are defending and heading.”

RBV: “You made your Everton debut as a youthful Toffees side lost narrowly to Belarussian side BATE Borisov in the 2009/10 Europa League. How did it feel to pull on the blue jersey?”

“It was one of the best feelings in my life. I wasn’t expecting to be on the bench never mind coming on to play. The day before we were in college as that’s what we scholars used to do on Wednesdays, and a couple of lads that went in to train with the first team that day came in in the afternoon and told me that I was on the bench. Obviously I thought they were just having me on. But then I had a phone call saying to go up to Finch Farm and get my shin pads and football boots and to meet at Goodison the following day – you might be involved.

So the match day came and I still wasn’t expecting to make the bench, but as i walked in to the changing rooms that night I saw an Everton shirt with my name on and I thought to myself I could well be on the bench. As the game went on and on, I just wanted to go on. I was so desperate to at least have a couple of minutes playing time but I had about 10 – and I didn’t give the ball away which I was pleased about. It’s a great feeling walking out on the pitch and I would have loved to have had an opportunity to do that once again as Everton are a big club.”

RBV: “What was it like being able to call yourself an Everton player? What did you learn from the coaching team and the manager, David Moyes?”

NC: “It was a great feeling as the fans, the coaching staff and the players are all passionate and that’s one thing I really loved about the club. Working with David Moyes was also a great feeling as he is a great manager, the best I’ve ever seen and worked with. When he used to explain stuff in training he made things look and sound so simple, and his attitude was excellent. If he had the money to spend he would take Everton to another level!”

RBV: “Having spent almost a decade there, how highly do you rate the youth system at Everton?”

NC: “It’s the best academy system for any youngster coming through the ranks. Everything’s on a plate for you as a player. Maybe it was a bit hard for me coming from another country and trying to blend in with the ‘scousers’ but Everton made it so easy for me. They put me up in the lodge for a couple of years with about 10 of us staying there. I would like to say a big thank you to Paul and Bev Elder, and Keith Loydon who looked after us at the lodge and made it a very comfortable environment to live in – everyone settled in straightaway thanks to them. It goes on then to the education part of life. We had to stay after training every Monday and Thursday and do a full day in college on a Wednesday as a part of education courses which we all went on and passed. I think that was a great idea as it’s a qualification you’ve got for the rest of your life no matter what happens.

Everton also set us all up on coaching and refereeing courses which we all achieved level 2 or 3 on. In the education department a big thank you goes to Mike Dickinson who had helped me a lot along the way and I still keep in touch with him today as he is a great man. Also at the training ground: the facilities do not come any better. The pitches are in an excellent condition throughout the season, with both an indoor and outdoor astro turf if the weather does get bad in the winter. There’s also a swimming pool which we used to go in for a warm down, stretching and to aid recovery from injury. Overall there is not a better academy system out there that gives youngsters the chance that Everton give.”

RBV: “Do you still check for Everton’s results?”

NC: “Definitely, and not only the first team but also the under-18s and reserves.”

RBV: “What have you been up to since being released by Everton in Summer 2011?”

NC: “Well I haven’t been alot of places regarding football! After leaving Everton I spent 3-4 months with 3 different agents and they basically let me down. They used to ring me and say “I’ve got you this, I’ve got you that”… getting my hopes up with nothing to show for it. So by September-time my uncle, who works for Travis Perkins, offered me a job there. It’s something to do so I said yeah straightaway – anything is better than sitting at home everyday. I also signed up with my hometown club Caernarfon Town who offered me a non-contract, so if a club was to come in for me I could go straight away. Caernarfon are the team I used to go and support when I was little and I would like to thank them to this day for giving me the opportunity to turn out for them week in week out. It’s just a great solution for me to keep my match fitness up in case something comes up.”

RBV: “You’ve recently been on trial at League Two side Torquay United. How is that going and do you hope to sign for The Gulls?”

NC: “Yeah, I was contacted by Torquay United and they offered me a two week trial. Work agreed to let me have time off and hopefully something comes out of it in the end. The manager (Martin Ling) talked to me after my first week saying I’d impressed and that he would like me to stay for an extra couple of days as there is a reserve game coming up on Tuesday (31st January) that he’d like me to play in.”

RBV: “Still just 20 years of age and having represented your country at various youth levels, do you harbour hopes of forcing your way back into the international set-up with Wales?”

NC: “I’m never going to give up on football, I’ve just got too much too lose after all the work and time my Mum and Dad have put into taking me to all the training sessions and games over the years. It’d be stupid to give up. So I’m waiting to see what Torquay say in the next couple of days and, if nothing happens, I know I’ve given my best and sometimes my best isn’t good enough. So I’ll continue working at Travis Perkins and playing for Caernarfon Town and continue going on trials in the next 6-12 months and get back to full time football and hopefully back into the Welsh set-up.”

RBV: “Thanks once more for this interview Nathan. It’s been thoroughly refreshing to see a hungry young player with such a positive attitude, and I’m sure all Evertonians will join me in wishing you the best of luck with your next steps in football.”

NC: “No worries mate. Thanks.”

[happytorq]

good stuff - seems very down to earth in that interview; not the billy big-boots that it was suggested he might be.

Maybe playing back in Caenarfon has given him a bit of humility; I'd imagine that if you'd been at a premier league club since you were 12 and made your debut in the UEFA cup, you might have a bit of an ego..

[tufcbrett]

Intresting to see that interview. Also our reserves are 4-2 down to FGR. I do hope for him that he can impress today and get offered something.

[miltonkeynesgull]

Caernafon Town's twitter has just tweeted this:

"Congrats to Nathan Craig! Contract @torquayunited until the end of the season. Pob lwc!!!!"

Guess that's as good an authority as any. Watch this space I guess, but welcome aboard Nathan!

Does that put to bed Bodin/Robinson I wonder?

Edit: Sorry, should have put this in the other Nathan Craig thread. Please merge etc.

[bobby93]

Another thread just surfaced suggesting that Nathan Craig has been given a contract with us until the end of the season (source: twitter).

[CP Gull]

Pleased for him, if this is confirmed - and no reason to believe it won't be.

He certainly has a sweet left foot, and it was down to that that our Reserves managed to score two goals today aginst FGR in what was otherwise a disappointing performance at a freezing cold Plainmoor earlier today. One was a superb free kick from Nathan that was right on Ed Palmer's head and the other was a corner he wipped in that quite literally hit McPhee and went in. He also brought out a good save with a decent free kick from 25 yards out which their keeper did well to keep out by pushing it onto the post.

Welcome to TUFC Craig.