"We believe that we can" - Leeds United loanee Alfie McCalmont declares Morecambe silverware ambitions following success on international duty

The 21-year-old left Thorp Arch to join the Shrimps on loan this summer following a successful term away at League Two outfit Oldham Athletic last season.

So far he’s made five appearances for Morecambe and become a regular fixture for the side who are currently in 18th place in the League One table.

On Tuesday evening, the Shrimps will take on Everton Under-21s in their first group game of the EFL trophy competition.

Morecambe will compete with Carlisle, Hartlepool and Everton Under-21s in the hopes of finishing in the top two of Group A and progressing to the next stage of the competition.

“Like the gaffer said, we want to win the trophy,” McCalmont said, speaking to Morecambe’s official club website.

“We believe that we can, we’ve got a strong enough team, we’re not just going to think ‘it’s just a cup game and we’re just too focussed on the league’, it’s not.

“We’re definitely going to give it our all, obviously put a strong team out and hopefully go as far as we can.

“21s football is different to senior football, so I think there’ll be more passing, playing out from the back, but we’ve just got to keep with the same ideas that we want to take on to Saturday.

“We’re not going to change how we play, obviously playing a different style of team, but we’re just going to keep doing what we’re good at and hopefully it’ll come off good.”

The young midfielder is full of confidence after a successful international break, during which he made his first full debut for his country.

McCalmont impressed Northern Ireland Ian Baraclough last season on loan at Oldham Athletic, and was surprised to learn that his Under-21s call-up had been upgraded by Baraclough as he was summoned to the senior squad.

“I played more than I was expecting to,” McCalmont said, “because obviously I thought I was going with the under 21s, and then getting the call up to the seniors was a big achievement for me.

“Getting my first start just topped it off, 90 minutes and I had a good game, I really enjoyed it.”

The midfielder came on in the final ten minutes during Northern Ireland’s qualifier against Lithuania before playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-0 win over Estonia.“I want to take it [confidence] to my club football as well,” McCalmont added.

“I want to be able to replicate my performances there [internationally] and take it into games on a Saturday and a Tuesday.”

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