Andy Lyons is settling in well to life at Blackpool during the Club's warm weather training camp.
Lyons won't be able to officially play for the Club until January following his move from Shamrock Rovers but has joined up with his new teammates in Spain ahead of the resumption of the Championship season following the World Cup break.
The versatile defender comes to the Club off the back of a successful campaign with Rovers where he won the league title and the PFA Ireland Young Player of the Year award.
“It was brilliant, obviously I was only there for a year and it was a brilliant year. We won the league, we got to the group stages in Europe and I won Young Player of the Year the other day as well so it was collectively and personally a really good season," Lyons said.
“Obviously getting the move here topped it off so I’m really looking forward to the opportunity that’s in front of me now, the season I had was brilliant and probably the best one I’ve had in football so really looking forward to getting the hard work going here."
The Irish defender has a few weeks to bed in to life on the Fylde Coast when the team travel back to the UK but he is already well versed in what to expect both from a club and fan perspective: “I’ve obviously watched a few of the games this year and the style of play the gaffer has implemented here is something that really interests me.
"All the games have been exciting games and the level that you’re playing at is a Championship football club, previously of the Premier League as well, on Twitter and throughout the internet you obviously see how good the fans are.
“Obviously I haven’t seen them first hand yet but watching the games the fans look absolutely unbelievable so that’s something that I’m big on because the fans at Rovers were brilliant with me as well.
“I think the fans play such a massive part in every football club these days and they certainly look like they do here as well. I’m really looking forward to playing in front of them and hoping I can make a big impact. Hopefully we can get some good results while I’m here."
Lyons has had the ideal chance to get to know his teammates during the trip to Spain and also understand the demands from Head Coach Michael Appleton as the training sessions get underway. It's been a quick turnaround for the 22-year-old but he is keen to throw himself into the challenge.
“I don’t think there’s a better way to get to know everyone. I think when the call came and they asked me to go on the trip I was more than delighted to go, I said it’s the perfect way really to get to know everyone, warm weather training in Spain which is great," Lyons added.
“I’m really looking forward to that, getting my foot in the door will be brilliant for me away from home and when we come back, adapting to life here will be really exciting as well.
“It’s been a bit of a mad one with the tour being this weekend I had to get a holiday in as well. So I nearly had the holiday and then obviously had the awards night and then straight over here.
"It’s been a mad few days but being here finally is brilliant, it’s been a long time coming because the talks started halfway through the year so to finally be here towards the far end of the year is great.”