Blackpool players told to 'thrive' off expectation as comparison made to likes of Leeds United and Burnley
Blackpool goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell is on Northern Ireland duty this weekend.
Bailey Peacock-Farrell believes it’s important for players to thrive off pressure that comes their way.
After a difficult start to life following his loan move from Birmingham City in the summer, the experienced goalkeeper has started to settle on the Fylde Coast.
The 28-year-old, who also has the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Leeds United on his CV, was part of the Blues league-winning squad in the third tier last season, but found game time hard to come by after losing his place in Chris Davies’ starting XI.
While he has been first-choice at Bloomfield Road so far this term, the team has only managed one clean sheet.
Poor performances across the board led to the sacking of Steve Bruce last weekend, with Stephen Dobbie and Steve Banks taking interim charge ahead of this Saturday’s meeting with Stockport County at Edgeley Park.
In an interview last Thursday, prior to the head coach’s departure, Peacock-Farrell discussed the similarities Blackpool shared to some of his other former clubs.
“You can see with the fans and the passion here that there’s an expectation here,” he said.
“That was the same at (Sheffield) Wednesday, Birmingham, Leeds, Burnley - there’s an expectation there to perform, and that’s the same at this club.
“I enjoy that. As players we’ve got to thrive on it.”
International opportunity
Peacock-Farrell won’t be available for the Seasiders this weekend after being called-up to the Northern Ireland squad for their games against Slovakia (October 10) and Germany (October 13) at Windsor Park.
With 50 international caps already under his belt, the goalkeeper is looking forward to increasing that total further.
“It’s another opportunity to get two games at the highest level and add to my tally,” he added.
“We’ve got a great chance with them both being home games - I always love going away.
“You do it so you can look back on your career and say that you played against teams like Germany. When you have a chance to sit back and think about it, you’re like ‘wow, that’s a really proud moment.’
“To continue doing that is a great feeling. It’s like my second home now, so it’s a really nice place to go away.”
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