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Tunny's reward

Simon Smedley
12/11/2008

TEENAGE County centre-back James Tunnicliffe is determined to make even more progress now that he has been rewarded with a new two-year extension to his current contract.

Tunnicliffe, aged 19, has been figuring more and more regularly in County’s first team this season, and now the Tameside-born youngster is eyeing further success for his number one team in the not-too-distant future.

Tunnicliffe told the Express: "I’m really happy. I knew if I played a few games, did well enough and worked hard enough, then a new offer might come my way. Luckily it seems I’ve done enough to impress the gaffer, and he’s rewarded me with this new contract."

Tunnicliffe is now set to stay at Edgeley Park until the end of the 2010/11 season.

He added: "Over the last year or so I think I’ve developed a lot. I’ve not played first-team football throughout that period, but I’ve worked hard and the gaffer and Peter Ward have helped me a lot in terms of my training and things like that.

"I’ve taken my chance, but I’m still taking every game as it comes because I know anything can happen in football. I’m just going to keep doing my best and luckily at present I’m keeping my place.

"It has given me a great confidence boost to be playing lately, but a lot of people don’t realise that I’m still only 19.

"I’m still growing and still learning.

"I know I’ve still got a lot to improve on, but at the moment I’m happy with how I’m playing.

"The team is playing well too, and that helps. I’ve got good players around me.

"The way the team is going, I don’t see any reason why we can’t push for promotion. We’re in a good position now, and if we can get on a good run over Christmas and New Year, we can be right up there."

Meanwhile, Tunnicliffe has also revealed that County fans can expect to see more and more of his Rory Delap-style long throw-ins into opposition boxes.

That’s been a dangerous feature of County’s game-plan in recent weeks, but it’s something that came about because of a slip-up by team-mate Leon McSweeney.

Tunnicliffe said: "Because I’m a big lad I’ve always had a decent throw, but for six or seven years I just haven’t used it.

"In training a few weeks ago Leon tried to take a throw-in, the ball slipped out of his hands, so I asked the gaffer if I should have a go.

"I knew I could do the long throws, but I suppose I didn’t realise just how much of a weapon it could become.

"We’ve scored a few goals from them now so hopefully that will continue.

"It’s an extra set-piece, so now I’m working more on it. If I can throw it even further, it will be more of a threat for us."