James Husband happy to be middle man for Blackpool

James Husband has been a revelation at centre-back in recent weeks and the defender admits he’s more than happy to fill in there for Blackpool.
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The 27-year-old turned in a man-of-the-match display in the centre during Tuesday night’s goalless draw against West Bromwich Albion.

Husband ended the game with a bandage around his head following an aerial collision which required seven stitches.

Left-back James Husband has also been dependable for Blackpool in the heart of defenceLeft-back James Husband has also been dependable for Blackpool in the heart of defence
Left-back James Husband has also been dependable for Blackpool in the heart of defence
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The former Fleetwood Town loanee has been moved inside from left-back in recent weeks in the absence of Richard Keogh, who has a calf strain.

While Husband is a left-back first and foremost, he has proven again and again he can be trusted by Neil Critchley to do a job alongside Marvin Ekpiteta.

Husband told The Gazette: “It’s good. I’m always happy to play.

“Keesy and Marv were fantastic and I was enjoying playing left-back, but when the gaffer asks you to play centre-half I’m more than happy to play it.

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“I’ll do it slightly differently to all the other centre-halves but if the gaffer asks me to do certain things I’ll try and do as much as I can do.”

Husband has nothing but praise for Blackpool’s head coach, who was recently awarded a four-and-a-half-year contract.

That was a big moment for Pool’s players, says Husband, because they can now focus on the long term.

“It’s self-explanatory,” he explained. “It just solidifies how far the club has gone over the last 18 months to two years.

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“We’ve got a calibre of coach that wants to stay here, which means the world to us because we believe we can all achieve something together.”

Husband has played in the Championship before, with Middlesbrough and Norwich City, but this is his first sustained run of games in the second tier.

The Leeds-born defender has made 15 appearances this term and is currently one of the first names on the teamsheet.

“I’ve had a taste of it before and I’ve been trying everything I can possibly do to get back into it,” Husband said.

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“It’s even better playing in front of these fans at Bloomfield Road.

“We’ve said it time and time again, but we’ve never seen a crowd that gets louder when you concede a goal. It’s bizarre.

“It’s fantastic and you can tell the whole place has a good feelgood factor about.

“We’re enjoying playing in front of everyone at the moment.”

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