CONN JOB IS NOT YET OVER WITH ROBINS

ALTRINCHAM fans were gutted to see Fleetwood loanee Chris Conn-Clarke packed off to Waterford in January

- Chris Dunlavy

But not as gutted as he was.

“I felt loved at Altrincham,” said the 21-year-old. “I felt trusted and wanted. I was enjoying my football, really happy. I didn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Which is why, six months on, the skilful midfielder has turned his back on the final two years of his contract at Highbury and joined Alty for a club-record fee.

Reflecting on a two-year stay at Fleetwood that yielded just four EFL appearances, Conn-Clarke has no regrets.

“No, not at all,” the Northern Irishman told The NLP. “It just didn’t work out. Why? Oof. That’s a big question, isn’t it?

“Truth is, I don’t really know. The year before Scott Brown came in, I was injured. I’d gone to Altrincham, done my ankle and was out for six months.

“I came back one of the fittest in the team and I knew I was ready for the first-team. But Scott said ‘Go out on loan to Altrincham, come back and then we’ll see’.

“But instead of coming back, I got sent to Waterford. The chairman at Fleetwood, Andy Pilley, owns Waterford as well and he was sending people across to try and get them promoted.

“My partner was heavily pregnant, we didn’t have anyone close. It was a difficult time and I didn’t really play well.