Your clubs most successful trialists...

[Northenblues]

Hi all,

Was just having a think, as I've got a lot of time on my hands at the moment, who is your clubs most successful trialist?

We've had some gems recently in Sam Cosgrove and Aaron Hayden, always makes pre-season a little more exciting.

 

[shoddycollins]

Hi all,

Was just having a think, as I've got a lot of time on my hands at the moment, who is your clubs most successful trialist?

We've had some gems recently in Sam Cosgrove and Aaron Hayden, always makes pre-season a little more exciting.

Not to forget Francois Zoko, Zoko Zoko, Zoko Zoko, Zoko, Francois Zo-ko

First time I saw Aaron Hayden in a Carlisle shirt as a trialist, Elvis threw him up front to see if he might succeed where other trialists had failed.

 

[valefan16]

Tom Conlon we had as a trialist when he left Stevenage... now he's our best player and arguably one the best in the division.

Special note to Billy Sharp who we had on trial... didn't want to pay the relatively small fee if I recall for him and he moved to Scunthorpe...

 

[Northenblues]

Not to forget Francois Zoko, Zoko Zoko, Zoko Zoko, Zoko, Francois Zo-ko

First time I saw Aaron Hayden in a Carlisle shirt as a trialist, Elvis threw him up front to see if he might succeed where other trialists had failed.

Zoko was so good I forgot he was a trialist, once met him in DW Sport with a new pair of boots. Lawrence Shankland has to go down as the one that got away.

 

[#Beebot]

Jason Puncheon

 

[F!RTHY]

In recent times, the most obvious one is Nahki Wells! Was binned by Carlisle and we took a punt. Achieved promotion and sold him for a deal that was eventually worth £2.3m.

 

[valefan16]

Another one I forgot was Jordan Hugill... had him from Whitby on trial, Micky Adams gave him a go and he scored a handful of goals, he went to PNE for a low fee at the end of the season but Micky Adams had negotiated a sell on (as Ridsdale couldn't deal with Smurf so Adams had to sort it according to his autobiography)... PNE sold him for 9.5 Million so we got 1.8 million... of which we saw virtually nothing as Smurf had it, the last installment even had to be agreed to go to him as it was to be paid after the take over.

 

[JaredSUFC]

Efan Ekoku

 

[shoddycollins]

Zoko was so good I forgot he was a trialist, once met him in DW Sport with a new pair of boots. Lawrence Shankland has to go down as the one that got away.

I can't remember Shankland's trial, everyone seems to go on about him though, He's 26 now, had a few high scoring seasons in the Scottish L1 and Championship but take those out and he's a centre-forward who scores a handful of goals a season. Could have been decent at this level but the way people talk about him you'd think we let Jamie Vardy get away.

 

[shoddycollins]

In recent times, the most obvious one is Nahki Wells! Was binned by Carlisle and we took a punt. Achieved promotion and sold him for a deal that was eventually worth £2.3m.

Could be the jumping off point for a whole other thread on players your club binned off that they really shouldn't have. Nakhi Wells is part of a Carlisle-reject strike force that includes Glenn Murray, Paddy Madden and Grant Holt, all of whom did pretty well for themselves following the disappointment that naturally comes with being released by us. Of course if we released a group of players of that calibre these days they'd be quickly snapped up and ruined further by Port Vale, such is their current habit.

 

[Greenacres]

Jonny Maxted answered a call to play in a pre-season friendly, when we had a goalkeeping injury crisis, delivered a MoTM performance and was then offered a contract by the club.

 

[Chris FGR]

Maxted played better in that friendly then he ever did in a league game funnily enough. Very good shot stopper but has a few other weaknesses (crosses in particular) which is probably why he wasn’t able to establish himself as a no.1 either here or elsewhere.

Our most successful players that came here as trialists imo would probably be the likes of Marcus Kelly, Yan Klukowski or more recently Dom Bernard.

 

[Alain]

There is only one for us - Max Watters - enough said

 

[Bottega Don]

Tom Conlon we had as a trialist when he left Stevenage... now he's our best player and arguably one the best in the division.

Special note to Billy Sharp who we had on trial... didn't want to pay the relatively small fee if I recall for him and he moved to Scunthorpe...

100k for Sharp I believe, well worth it but 100k was a lot for an unproven player back then for clubs our level so makes sense why Vale didn't go for him.

 

[Moomin]

We had Kieffer Moore on trial about 5-6 years ago…Why we never gave him a deal I don’t know.

Going back years, we were recommended Andy Impey, but didn’t sign him. He ended up playing loads in the Premier League for QPR and Leicester.

I suppose our most successful trialist was Jamie Cureton. Came to us as a washed up 34 year old and ended up scoring 20 goals in L1. He was the best striker I’ve seen for us in terms of his pure movement and finishing inside the box. Think he’s still playing now!

 

[The Terminator]

We’ve never really been a club that’s had many or signed trialists down the years.

James Dayton was the last trialist we had and then signed pernamently back in 2017.

I also remember Marcus Ebdon got a 3 month deal after a trial in 2003 and did nothing in those 3 months!

 

[shoddycollins]

Maxted played better in that friendly then he ever did in a league game funnily enough. Very good shot stopper but has a few other weaknesses (crosses in particular) which is probably why he wasn’t able to establish himself as a no.1 either here or elsewhere.

Our most successful players that came here as trialists imo would probably be the likes of Marcus Kelly, Yan Klukowski or more recently Dom Bernard.

Another that we said, thanks but no thanks.

 

[Chief Rocka]

I know for a fact MadJohn would have a much greater idea than me but Dimi Konstantopoulos must be up there as one of the most successful? After much success with us ended up with a number of Championship clubs and then the Greek national team, actually back with us now as goalie coach.

 

[Robshep]

Mark Palios. He played 249 games for us and then in 2014 bought the club and dragged it back from disappearing into the abyss it was headed for. We would be either gone or in the NLN at best without his business skill.

 

[James Frost]

Trialist number 3

Kevin Ellison was our trialist 3 over the summer. Quite amusing because describing a player as a trialist is meant to give them anonymity but of course that wasn't going to happen with Ellison.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

I can't remember Shankland's trial, everyone seems to go on about him though, He's 26 now, had a few high scoring seasons in the Scottish L1 and Championship but take those out and he's a centre-forward who scores a handful of goals a season. Could have been decent at this level but the way people talk about him you'd think we let Jamie Vardy get away.

Radio Cumbria doing a social media post every time he farts certainly doesn't help.

 

[Chris FGR]

Another that we said, thanks but no thanks.

Your loss, brilliant player. The Frank Lampard of the National League. Coaches in our academy now whilst still playing for Hereford. Top man.

 

[Trapdoor]

What is a successful trialist?
Only seem to ever see crocks or washed up wage theives.

 

[Robshep]

Joey Barton will be the most successful trialist at any club by January 2022 if he gets off twice.

 

[Monkey Tennis]

We once had a triallist simply named as Saul on the team sheet who scored against Lancaster by punching the ball past the keeper. Not successful, but memorable.

 

[Chris FGR]

Ruud Gullitt (discipline) and Paul Gascoigne (too fat) both had unsuccessful trials at Ipswich. And Newcastle trialled a young Alan Shearer and put him in goal before he signed for Southampton…

Also West Ham rejected Kenny Dalglish after a trial because he was ‘too small’.

 

[Robshep]

We once had a triallist simply named as Saul on the team sheet who scored against Lancaster by punching the ball past the keeper. Not successful, but memorable.

Left or right hand?

 

[Soup Ladle]

I know for a fact MadJohn would have a much greater idea than me but Dimi Konstantopoulos must be up there as one of the most successful? After much success with us ended up with a number of Championship clubs and then the Greek national team, actually back with us now as goalie coach.

Joel Porter as well I think we also had on trial.

 

[Strawberry_Jam]

Sam Hoskins back in 2015, 246 appearances and 40 goals now and still going. Had covid in pre-season, missed most of it then comes back and plays 180 mins in 3 1/2 days...he's a duracell bunny.

 

[Casey]

There is only one for us - Max Watters - enough said

fair call there but...You'll probably know better than me but didn't John Mackie show up as a trialist first?

...and what was the name of the little winger who later starred for Southend in the Championship? Martin used to call him Pele but his name has gone from my watchamacallit.

Casey

Got it. Andy Ansah...only took half a bottle of red.