We caught up with Owen Wallbridge last month for our match day programme to reflect on his debut season so far...

18-year-old Owen Wallbridge is one of the newest additions to our squad this season, but he has certainly wasted no time in making a favourable impact! Our media team spoke with him after the Leatherhead game and started by asking him how he felt about the way that match had panned out. Here’s what he had to say.

We knew it would be a tough game today, with Leatherhead being 4th in the league and aiming for top spot, or a place in the play-offs at least, but I thought we fought really well; we kept our focus for the whole game and were especially strong in defence, with some great saves from Josh.  They possibly weren't expecting us to put up such a fight and we didn’t deserve to concede at the end there.  I thought we were capable of gaining at least one point from that game, but I think Tony was pleased with our performance and it definitely gave us confidence for facing more of the sides above us in the table.

I guess you could say that playing for GFC has always been on my radar. I think I'd always wanted to go as far as I could in football.  I was only 6 when GFC started and playing for them was definitely something I wanted to aim for, but I didn't expect to achieve a place in the squad and the starting line ups this early. When Tony asked me to go to Island Games training with the squad to fill in, it was perfect timing as North U18s had fallen away for me by then, so I thought I'd go along to see how I got on.  I knew it would be a big commitment timewise and would require a high level of fitness, so wanted to be sure I could manage that and also needed to see whether I could hold my own at that level.

This season the time felt right to start and properly push myself. In Priaulx I thought I was performing well but I found it, not easy, but I was enjoying scoring goals and winning most of our matches, so it was a good time to step up with GFC, especially as I knew a few other young players already there and some that started training at the same time as me. I'm really grateful to North for the opportunities I had there, so it was a difficult thing to give up after 12 years with them, from minis through to Priaulx. My coach at North, Jose, was very supportive though and my family encouraged me as well, so I was pleased that Tony had the confidence in me and took a risk by putting me in the squad almost straight away.  There's also the added dimension at this level when you're trying to get out and stay out of the relegation zone, which isn't an issue at local club level, so there's more at stake. 

Away games add a whole new dimension of challenge too, since you have to get up at the crack of dawn to travel, and then travel late back. It’s very hard, especially with working full time all week, and it’s always harder away than being at home. The travelling is tiring, but that's part of the additional challenge with living on an island. It's great to visit other grounds though and there's always a good atmosphere with the squad when we're on the road. I'm getting used to it now but when we have two away games in one week that can be especially tough. I think that's one thing I underestimated when I decided to step up, so I have a lot of respect for the squad members that have been doing it season after season.

Tom Vaudin and Sam Murray are a few of the other North boys who have moved on up to GFC, and although I didn’t really speak to any of them about joining GFC specifically, I definitely look up to all of them and have followed how well they’ve been doing. Especially with Tom being named young player of the season last year, that kind of helped me with the decision to join as well.  Al Scott and Ben Acey are also friends of mine that encouraged me to go along to GFC and obviously they have gone on to pursue their dreams with top English sides.

It’s hard to believe I’m now just behind Matt Loaring with two goals this season. It’s a pretty good feeling, but it's early days, with several of us on two goals apiece, and Matt does have 89 behind him to date! My first goal, against Southall, was a particular highlight for me and the fact it secured us the point against an in-form side with one of the division's top goal scorers in their midst was a bonus. I've got Ross (as well as the opposition defender!) to thank for assisting with my second goal but it was also a good feeling to seal that win against Uxbridge. I’ll hopefully get a few more goals to my name soon, as my confidence grows, and I get more used to the style of play required in this league.  I almost got my third against Leatherhead! It's not all about the number of goals I score though, it's about attacking pressure; the assists and contributing to the overall strategy that Tony needs us to execute.

With Jack Griffin coming into the squad too and scoring on his debut, I wouldn’t say we compete for goals exactly, but we do have a joke about it on the side! Now we’re equal, so I'm sure there will be a bit of a friendly competitive edge going forward, but like I said before, it's also about assists and working as a team to put on that attacking pressure. I don't mind who scores as long as we get the points!

It has been a pretty good experience with winning both the U18s and U21s Murattis in under a year, from having no Muratti wins. The representative sides have been performing well and I'm pleased to be part of that as Jersey generally field an excellent side, so it's by no means easy and I think deep down most people don't expect Guernsey to win.  It helps that the lads in that squad know each other really well and have played with and against each other for a number of years, so we know each other's styles, strengths and weaknesses quite well.  We also maintained our discipline and I think that's what got us through in the end.
Matt Loaring started playing for GFC at a similar age to me, and he’s since played 369 games! Matty is a very good player, and he plays in a similar way to me: quite agile, low centre of gravity, quick and good at dribbling.  I think we work well together too, and I think I can learn a lot from him, along with Ross.  With 674 games under their belts between them they've been extremely dedicated to the squad, and I hope I can follow in their footsteps and show that level of commitment. 

We’ve also got a few other guys in the squad with a lot of experience, Dave Merris, for example, is really good at talk on the pitch. He helps me a lot, telling me where to position myself and when to go and when not to go, so he’s a big help on the pitch and he's very supportive off the pitch as well.

Of course, I’m aware that he and Zico are now in charge of the main Muratti side, and I hope I've done enough to impress them. It would be great if I was chosen for the squad and could hopefully take the Muratti wins I've been involved in to 3 this season.

Losing match after match has been tough this season, but morale in the dressing room and on the pitch has been high and some of the more experienced players know that things can change. We're not going to be chasing the top of the table, but I know we believe we can push out of the relegation zone, especially as we have held our own really well against some talented opposition and haven't been losing by big goal margins at all.  As mentioned, the win at home against Uxbridge was a huge boost and the draw at Southall was something to be proud of.  Believing in our ability is half the battle.

I'd definitely encourage other young players to come along to GFC training and test themselves. The training alone is great, and the rest of the squad and the coaches have made me feel very welcome. I’ve been enjoying the extras too – the analysis and stats and so forth. It definitely helps to give you a different perspective on performance both personally and for the team. It's been really helpful for me to develop my game, even in the short time I've been with the squad.

Looking ahead to the immediate future, up next is Raynes Park Vale. I really enjoy the games against the best sides, even if we don't come away with any points. Chertsey was a really tough game, but the standard of play was excellent, and I personally learned a lot from that game. We proved with Southall that even with a depleted and young squad, a sound strategy, along with fighting spirit, can achieve a good result. Tony thought we could exploit the weaknesses in their defence, which is exactly what happened, coupled with some great defending and saves from Josh, leading to a draw that was a real boost for us all. With only one late goal conceded against Leatherhead and a win against Uxbridge, I think we're confident of doing our best against RPV, especially with the home crowd behind us and no travel to contend with. A point would be great but three would be fantastic!