Alfie McCalmont sees Carlisle United as his ‘proper home’ after returning to the League One club on a permanent deal earlier this week. The Leeds United academy graduate spent the second half of last season with the Cumbrians and he helped them to promotion via a play-off final win at Wembley Stadium before his loan came to an end.
That move has now been made permanent, with McCalmont penning a two-year deal with the club to end his 16-year association with the Whites. The Thirsk-born Northern Irishman made just two appearances for the United first-team, both coming in the Carabao Cup during Leeds’ promotion-winning campaign from the Championship.
However, after spending the first half of last season stuck in the club’s Under-21 squad, the 23-year-old made the move to Brunton Park on loan last January and he hasn’t looked back. As such, he is now preparing for Carlisle’s first season back in the third tier and he couldn’t be happier.
“It’s amazing,” he told Carlisle’s official website. “Obviously this coming after last season and getting promotion at Wembley is fantastic.
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“After finishing the last game of the season I was thinking about what was going to happen to me next and then a couple of days after the final we were already talking about me coming back. I was delighted about that and it’s just been a case of getting it all sorted over the summer. Now it’s about being ready for the first game of pre-season.
“There was no hesitation from me at all, to be honest. The fans, the players, the staff, they’ve all made it feel like home for me.
“I really enjoyed myself being here and I think you actually play your best football when you’re enjoying yourself, so it was a really easy decision for me to come back. It’s a two-year deal and I want to come back and help the team as much as I can, like I did last season. I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give, and as a team we know we’ve all got to step up to this next level now.”
McCalmont made 16 appearances for Carlisle last season, culminating with a start at the national stadium against Stockport County. The midfielder was withdrawn after 61 minutes, meaning he didn’t take a penalty in the shootout, but he did manage to get his hands on the play-off winners’ trophy at the end of the game.
“I let it all sink in over the summer, and I know it’s a good achievement, but I want to take it to the next step now,” he added.
“This is my club now and it does actually feel different now because of that. It’s like my proper home now. I’ve signed for two years and hopefully the fans will see me as more than a loan player now. I’m here permanently and I’m really looking forward to it.
“The club knows me, I know the club, and that means I can come here for the first day of pre-season and I know my bearings. I know what to expect.
“Obviously playing in our stadium, I just love playing here. Again it’s something that I don’t need to get used to, I already know how good it is.”
