Blackpool's new recruit is looking to the future

The left-back, who signed on a free transfer last week, hasn’t played a competitive game of football since March.

After being released by boyhood club Everton earlier in the summer, Garbutt was strongly linked with both Ipswich Town, whom he spent last season on loan with, and League One rivals Sunderland.

It’s understood the 27-year-old was close to sealing a move to the Stadium of Light, only for the switch to collapse with the deal complicated by coronavirus and the introduction of the salary cap.

However, rather than dwell on the past, Blackpool’s new signing would rather concentrate on his bright future at Bloomfield Road.

He said: “I was at Ipswich last year and it was quite well documented that Sunderland were in negotiations with me for most of the summer, but I don’t want to divulge into too much of that.

“I just want to focus on my time here and get the club moving forward, get into the team and start playing well again.”

He added: “It all started when the manager got in touch with me a couple of weeks ago.

“We had a meeting and I liked what he had to say about his aspirations for the football club moving forward.

“It was something I wanted to be a part of, so I was delighted to get it over the line.

“It’s a good group of lads here, they’re all young and hungry lads that want to improve.

“Obviously the manager speaks for himself, he’s been at a massive club like Liverpool and brings his own philosophy and how he wants to play. Every day in training that’s getting brought more and more onto the players.

“I think that will see us in good stead moving forward and we can play better football and win football matches throughout the season.

“It’s still early days, I’m still getting used to the lads. We had a bounce game on Tuesday against Preston and I managed to get some minutes in that.

“With Covid and lockdown, I haven’t played since March so it’s been a long time. Trying to get match practice and match fitness has obviously been difficult with the season underway now.

“This is the longest I’ve not been able to play for. It’s not completely in my control, which has been difficult. But there are a lot of footballers that have had to deal with this situation.

“I’m just really pleased to get something sorted. With the ambitions of the football club and the plan they’ve got, I like what Neil has had to say.

“For me, it’s just getting match fit, getting back in the team and pushing forward again.”