Player of year Mellor ready to fight for Blackpool shirt

Kelvin Mellor says he needs to keep pushing himself to ensure he keeps his place in the Blackpool team.
Kelvin MellorKelvin Mellor
Kelvin Mellor

The arrival of former Crewe Alexandra team-mate Ollie Turton saw Mellor pushed out of his regular role at right-back at the start of the season.

The 26-year-old, having played in a variety of other positions this season, has returned to right-back in recent games but Mellor says he is well aware he has a battle on his hands for a first-team place for the rest of the season.

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“As a player, you just want to play, wherever that is,” he said. “You always have a main position but being versatile is a good thing.

“I obviously struggled to get into the team at the start because the team was doing so well. I’m happy I’m now back in the team and I just want to keep pushing on and hopefully will keep my place.”

Mellor, who arrived at Bloomfield Road from Plymouth Argyle in 2016, played a leading role in last season’s promotion from League Two. He made 55 appearances, scoring seven goals, and was The Gazette’s player of the season.

But he has made just 12 starts in the league this season and Turton is the main reason Mellor has had to bide his time t.

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“Ollie has come in and done really well,” Mellor added. “He should be proud of what he has done so far this season, and hopefully he can continue doing that.

“Ollie is a very versatile player who can play in midfield as well. Versatility helps and gives the manager less of a headache, but we’re still fighting for that main position.

“You’ve got to be as consistent as you can, so that you can wear that shirt you want to wear.”