Tears of joy for Blackpool's Aldred

Tom Aldred endured a rollercoaster of emotions at Wembley Stadium '“ with his feelings hitting rock bottom before ending in elation at the final whistle.
Tom AldredTom Aldred
Tom Aldred

The defender struggled to hold back the tears as he trudged off through injury just half an hour into Blackpool’s 2-1 League Two play-off final win against Exeter City.

But those tears turned into ones of pure joy as the Seasiders held on for the win that sees them return to League One at the first attempt.

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“It’s the best feeling ever if I’m being honest,” Aldred said.

“It’s been a hell of a season but to finally get over the line is an amazing feeling.I’ ve had a few knocks at the end of the season but I’ve just been able to get through the pain barrier, but this was a bridge too far.

“Even in warming up I knew I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent. As the game went on I knew I had to sacrifice myself even if it killed me to do so.

“But at the same time I knew I couldn’t carry on any longer. So I went from the worst feeling ever to the best feeling ever, so it’s all worth it.

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“To watch the boys do it was just unbelievable. All season long it’s been a team effort and this has shown that.”

The moment means everything to the centre-back given the experiences of his three-year tenure at the club, which started with relegation from the Championship.

Another relegation followed in his second season at Bloomfield Road – but he insists this moment more than makes up for the disappointment he has facedwhile playing in tangerine.

He said: “For me I joined at a time when the club was at an all-time low.

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“We got relegated from the Championship which was always going to happen and then we fell just short last season with not enough quality in the squad.

“But the quality players we did have we held onto and we brought in the manager and everyone else involved, including the staff, have done an amazing job just to compete.

“Our mission was to get promoted and to carry that out is unbelievable.

“It’s the best feeling physically ever. It’s something I’ll never forget and I’m proud for everyone involved with Blackpool Football Club.”