Grimsby Town midfielder Harry Clifton has told Grimsby Live that the mentality of the squad will be a crucial key point if they are to taste success next season as they look to build on their first year back in the Football League.
The Mariners managed to finish in 11th place in their first year back in the EFL following promotion from the National League via the playoffs in the previous campaign, in a season in which Paul Hurst’s side also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1939.
Who is Harry Clifton?
Grimsby Town midfielder Harry Clifton has been one of the most consistent players in the Mariners squad ever since he signed his first professional contract at the club in July 2015.
Known for his versatility and his unbelievable work rate, the 24-year-old has become one of the first names on the team sheet after making his League Two debut for his boyhood club in early 2018, when he came off the bench in a 3-0 defeat away at Yeovil Town under then boss Russell Slade.
Since making his debut for the club, Clifton has quickly become a fan favourite as he’s gone from strength to strength in his development at Blundell Park, with the midfielder pulling on the black and white shirt a total of 223 times in all competitions, making him currently the highest appearance maker for the Mariners.
In the campaign just gone, the Grimsby-born midfielder went on to make 57 appearances in all competitions for the club in what was his best season to date, going on to be the club’s top goal scorer as he came up with nine goals as well as five assists on his way to becoming Grimsby’s Supporters’ Player of the Year, alongside winning four other club awards.
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What’s been said?
In an interview with Grimsby Live, the 24-year-old Mariners midfielder explains that every season is very much a learning curve for improvement for the team as they look to build on their 11th-place finish next term by performing on a more consistent basis, as well as continuing to improve on his own game in a bid for success next campaign.
“Just constant improvements,” said Clifton on how Grimsby can be successful. “Not that it is just about goals, but I got seven in the National League last season and I wanted to improve on that this year, which I did. It is just about continued progression for myself and the team, we’ll look at where we finished in the league this time around and want to definitely improve on that.
“As a unit, we’ve had a feel as to what the league is about and what we need to improve on to take those next steps and be competitive with the teams that will be up there next season, which I think we can achieve.
“We just haven’t been able to do it on a consistent basis in the league so that is the aim, to always improve my individual performance which, if done right, will feed into the team performance because if you can get a bit more out of all the lads around you, that’s a big thing as well.”
Writer’s View
As a Mariners supporter myself, it’s fair to say the club have enjoyed a successful first season back in the EFL, and Harry Clifton has been a big part to that success with countless excellent performances that have rightly won him the Player of the Year award at Blundell Park.
With the club close to his heart as well as mine, I agree with the fact that the next stage for the 24-year-old midfielder is to now make that extra step in his development, as well as the club’s as they look to stride towards the top end of the League Two table.
It’s an exciting time to be a Grimsby supporter at the moment and as long as we’re seeing constant growth, that’s what makes me happy and it’s something that is happening. If the club were to add some quality additions in the summer as well as turning some of the draws we’ve had into wins and some defeats into draws, I truly believe there is no reason why we can’t be successful next season.
