Fleetwood Town new boy aims to make his mark

The 22-year-old has had a tough time in terms of keeping fit and had to watch on as others stepped into the first team at Ewood Park and got games under their belt.

Still a fledgling talent, with one career start to his name at Blackburn, Butterworth has been keen to make an impression.

Now over his injury troubles, he feels a lengthy spell on the sidelines is almost an occupational hazard as a footballer and is mentally stronger for the experience.

READ MORE: Loan move excites new boy.

He said: “It’s been a tough 18 months, two years, but you’ve got to put it behind you and carry on.

“You’ve got to go out and prove yourself to everybody.

“That’s the main thing I found tough about being injured. You look at how many young lads are playing at 18 or 19 and have 50-odd career appearances: I’m sat here on one career start.

“That’s what got to me the most but it makes you stronger and you have to keep your head down and keep going.

“I had an injury in my back in the pre-season and then I came back.

“I had about three or four games and was thinking I was getting better, then I had a double stress fracture in my back which put me back about 12 months.

“I came back from that and then I did the ligaments in my ankle, which was another three or four months.

“There is not much worse in football than being out for 12 months. Whatever happens now, I’d like to think I can deal with it mentally.

“It has definitely made me mentally stronger as a person. I’m over it now and I’ve just got to look forward.

“It builds you as a person as well, builds your character and makes you stronger.

“I look back and think it was maybe meant to be as a professional footballer.”

Having made the switch to the Fylde coast in the final minutes of deadline day at the start of the week, it was a deal that had been a long time in coming.

Town were reportedly interested in a move last summer when Simon Grayson was in charge.

Despite working under a different boss in Stephen Crainey, the new boy is more than happy to be at Highbury.

Butterworth said: “It’s a big club. There were talks of me coming here in the summer but it never materialised.

“In this window they were interested again and I like the way they try and play.

“The manager seems really good and I was more than happy to come.”

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