yorkshire stag wrote:well that’s wet my appetite Darren, i was starting to feel positivity for a second there
It was only one game Dave and Nicky Law, Jack Sparkes and Josh Key were just as bad. He's clearly got something if managers like Tony Mowbray, Karl Robinson and Matt Taylor have signed him; and Ryan Lowe offered him a short term deal at Plymouth. He's clearly had his problem with injuries which have held his career back.
Most left backs in League 2 are going to struggle to match Stephen McLaughlin going forward but I will be happy if Lewis Page can mark his man, get tackles in, stop crosses and clear the ball from our area. I think he will be a better option at left back than Kieran Wallace. He has a certain presence as I would have said that he is taller than the 5 foot 9 stated on wikipedia.
1st September 2020: Exeter City complete signing of left-back Lewis Page Lewis Page is determined to prove his worth by staying fit and helping Exeter City get out of League Two after agreeing terms on a contract with the club. The 24-year-old was released by Charlton Athletic in the summer after an injury hit spell at the Valley where he made only 27 appearances after joining from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee in January 2017. His ability is clear to see and if he can stay fit, then the Grecians could have a real gem on their hands with his cruel injuries severely hampering his development up to now. He made his first outing for the club in the pre-season win at Tiverton Town and will provide competition with Jack Sparkes for the left-back, or left wing-back, role at St James Park. Page spent the early part of the summer on trial down the A38 at Plymouth Argyle. He impressed Pilgrims boss Ryan Lowe enough to be offered a short-term deal, but he turned it down when the offer of something more long-term came from the Grecians.
Talking about his aspirations for the forthcoming campaign, Page said: “I want to just try and stay fit and try and play as many games as possible while of course helping the team out. Promotion has to be the aim for us. We’ve come close in previous years and we have to get over the line. “I’m very happy to get the deal over the line as I’ve really enjoyed it here over the last few days,” the former Cambridge United and Coventry City loanee said. “I’ve spoken to the manager quite a bit over the summer about how he wants to play and this is the contract offer that I preferred as there was a really good atmosphere around the club. Football is tough at the moment. You’ve got loads of players battling to find a new club so you’re going to get that situation. You’re always fighting for a place with someone and I’m really pleased to have been given a deal.”
Page certainly caught the eye in that win at Ladysmead, who looked a threat going forward, whilst being stoic in defence. Talking about his style of play, Page added: “I give 100 per-cent all the time and although I’m a defender, I try to get forward as much as I can to deliver balls into the box. I’ve played left wing-back before and I know I am capable of getting forward and getting higher up the pitch. I like to progress up the pitch but really enjoy having a winger in front of me.”
Speaking about his new addition, Taylor added: “I was impressed both with his trial and his fitness in our training environment. He passed all our tests with flying colours. It was important it was right fit for both parties and we know what good pedigree Lewis has and it’s an opportunity for him to play football again after a few injuries. Jack can’t be expected to play every single minute this season, and neither can Lewis so there is great competition between the pair of them. We need competition for places and we need that bit of depth in the squad. Someone who has played at the level that Lewis has will have the knowhow and a bit of quality to seep into out system. He is a player that will be a huge asset to us if we can keep him fit and well. In the ten days he’s been with us he’s really impressed us with his character and his attitude and we will be able to manage him really easily this season.”
Lewis Page was offered a new contract at Exeter City but left to join Harrogate Town.
17th July 2021: Lewis Page capture a real transfer coup for Harrogate Town as two players sign and two leave on busy dayFriday was a busy day for Harrogate Town with two new signings unveiled and two players heading in the opposite direction. Most notable was the arrival of former West Ham United defender Lewis Page, who looks something of a transfer coup and could be the man to finally fill the Sulphurites' problem position at left-back.
Page arrives at Harrogate having turned down the chance to extend his stay with League Two rivals Exeter City, where he signed a one-year-deal last summer following his exit from League One Charlton Athletic. It is understood that Grecians boss Matt Taylor was keen to keep hold of a player who featured 32 times in League Two for the Devon club during 2020/21, a campaign which saw them miss out on the play-offs by just three points. But, Page - who made three first team appearances for West Ham in Europa League fixtures - opted to follow fellow defender Rory McArdle out of St James' Park and into the EnviroVent Stadium.
“It’s really nice to get the deal done and I’m glad to be able to get going with the lads,” he said. “The club is moving in the right direction and when I spoke to the gaffer we had a good chat and I really liked him. I would say I’m the ‘modern day’ type of left-back. Obviously I pride myself on my defending, I try to do that first and foremost but then getting forward is a bonus. I like to get forward a lot and put crosses in and try and effect the game by making assists.”
Luring a player of real pedigree and a decent amount of Football League experience away from one of the division's better sides will undoubtedly be a big positive for Harrogate boss Simon Weaver as he looks to strengthen his squad ahead of their second year in League Two. The left-back slot has been a problematic position for the last three years. Former Leeds United man Ben Parker was the last player to really make the number three shirt his own, all the way back in 2017/18 when the Sulphurites secured promotion from National League North. The fact that Warren Burrell - a right-footed centre-half or central midfielder by trade - has been deployed in that position more often than anyone else over the last 36 months tells its own story. Last term, Dan Jones was brought in on loan from Salford City and gave a pretty good account of himself for the most part, though Town opted against offering him a deal as a free agent during the close season after he expressed a desire to look around for other options rather than commit to the Sulphurites.
Weaver admitted last month that he had been in touch with a whole host of different left-backs as he looked to plug the gap on that side of his defence, so to have finally managed to come to an agreement with a player of Page’s calibre and experience will be a massive bonus. Someone who knows the division and will offer natural balance and width down the left-hand-side was the thing that this Harrogate team was crying out for the loudest, and now it would appear that they have finally ticked that box.
Weaver prefers to work with a small playing group, and although Covid-19 forced his hand last term, he has already spoken of his intention to operate with a tighter unit in 2021/22.
by CraigStag » Thu Nov 17, 2022 3:32 pm 
