The official website spoke to Anthony Furlonge earlier today about how he is finding his spell on loan with Bishop’s Stortford FC, what it’s like to be playing regular football and just how a right back finds his scoring boots!
First speaking about how the move came about Anthony said “I spoke to the gaffer at the start of the season and he said I’d need to go out on loan, to get some experience and play men’s football. It’s important that when things go my way I can take the positives and to learn that when they don’t go my way just get on and deal with it.
“Three weeks into the season I was on the bench and wasn’t getting much game time and he told me that something had come up and asked if I would be interested. I had a chat with my agent and we came to the conclusion that it would be good for me to go out on loan and get some experience and Bishop’s Stortford is a great place to do that.”
He has been with the Blue Square South side for just over two weeks now after sealing the deal on transfer deadline day and he revealed that he has settled in well. He began “They are a great bunch of lads and I feel like I’m fitting into the team well.
“Since I’ve been there I feel like I’ve done well as I’ve scored two goals and got man of the match twice. The system that they play is a diamond formation and it allows me to bomb on a lot more which is one of my best attributes so that has helped me out.”
Going into more detail on the two goals he has since joining Stortford he continued “My first goal was on my debut, it was a corner and it has dropped down off a team mate and into my path; I hit it in off the post. My second goal was a tussle between two of their defenders and myself and they have collided together and the ball then dropped to me so I stuck it in the back of the net!”
Fellow right-back David Gray has already stamped his mark on a starting place and has shown what a youth career with Manchester United can do for a player. Furlonge doesn’t just like the idea of competing with Gray for a starting place, but also having a role model to help him continue his progression.
“In training we always have little chats, and I always get advice off him as he plays week in week out so it’s good to learn off him.” He said.
Speaking about the improvements that he has seen from moving to League One from League Two he pointed at some of the finer details in football, and just how they are already making him a better player.
“It’s very professional here, that’s no disrespect to Southend as they are a League two club, but there are things that are done here that were not done there. For example, nutrition is focussed on a lot; we talk about dieting which is a good thing.
Until I came here I didn’t know that I was often dehydrated, we had some tests and now I keep on top of it and I always carry around a bottle of water. It sounds like something small but I’ve noticed it in my performance as I feel a lot more energetic now.”
Furlonge’s loan deal is one month long and whilst training part time with the Bishops he is also training with the Stevenage team.