Johnson confident Winch can go far

FULL FLIGHT: Carl Winchester

CARL Winchester's new manager reckons he will have scouts flocking once he gets regular action again.

The 23-year-old ended a seven-year association with Athletic last week when penning an 18-month contract at Cheltenham Town.

It means the man from Belfast has linked up with Gary Johnson - the father of Lee, under whom he played the best football of his career to date, winning Athletic's fans' player of the season award in 2014-15.

Winchester, who has one cap for Northern Ireland, has lost his way since. His equaliser at Port Vale in November was a rare highlight and across the past two seasons only two goals have arrived in 40 appearances, 14 from the bench.

Gary Johnson, though, has belief that he can bring out the midfielder's latent talent.

HELPING

And he got off to a flyer at the League Two club, helping them to a 3-0 home success over Accrington on Saturday.

"Carl was one that was on the go for a little while," Johnson told Cheltenham's website after securing the signing. "I am really pleased with his signing because I know a lot about him.

"I watched him in most of his games when Lee was manager at Oldham.

"Lee recommends him highly as well, as a person as well as a footballer.

"He was at Oldham since he was very young and sometimes when you have been at a club for a long time, they still see you as a young lad.

"But he is a man now. And he wants to go somewhere he can have the opportunity of playing regular football.

"He is experienced even though he is young in years. We will see the best of him and when we do, people will realise we have made a very, very good signing.

"He has got the opportunity now and I am pretty sure that this time next year, there will be a lot of interest in him - if not before."

Winchester said the Johnson family factor played a major part in the attraction of the move.

"It all came down to how well I played and how much I enjoyed it under Lee Johnson," he told the Gloucestershire Echo.

"The gaffer at Cheltenham (Gary Johnson) obviously has some similar traits being his dad and I believe he is the right man to get the best out of me again.

"I played the best football of my career under Lee because of the belief he showed in me and I want to rediscover that form now."