Copyright falkirkherald
Leicester City loanee Henry Cartwright has shown in short space of time that he has all the Scottish Premiership credentials needed to make big impact this season with the Bairns. The English prospect, 20, joined Falkirk on loan this summer and has managed to swiftly secure a spot in John McGlynn’s midfield alongside regulars Brad Spencer and Dylan Tait. The latter has been superb too, but you could argue Cartwright has been the most important man in the middle so far with his physicality and never-ending pressing proving key so far. And speaking ahead of the Tynecastle trip to take on Hearts this Saturday, Cartwright says that he is pleased to have have earned a starting spot - but that he knows he’ll need to keep performing in order to keep it. "Yeah I am,” he told the Falkirk Herald. “That is what I wanted to do. I wanted to come here and play. I've done everything I could to get in the team and now I am going to do everything I can to make sure that I stay in it. Obviously it's different, but yeah, I'm enjoying it so far being here. It's tougher than what I'm used to, obviously playing under-21s football a lot last year, the greater intensity is there, it's a lot more physical, stuff like that. But I feel like I'm adapting and getting used to it.” Cartwright also revealed that a move to Falkirk was close last January during the Bairns’ Scottish Championship title-winning season - but that Scott Arfield eventually trumped him to a deadline day move. “I've been wanting a loan away from Leicester since January, maybe even going back to summer this time last year,” he revealed. "I definitely knew there was talks in January and obviously they signed signed Scotty Arfield then. And obviously when I got told about it, that they had signed a 37-year-old, I was thinking what's going on here? But obviously, I can't really complain about what he did and who he is as a player after finding out his connection to the club! He's got like so many pointers and when he speaks, you do want to listen to him because he's played so many many games and you can always learn off him. I think it's not just me and like the younger lads too, I think it's everyone really." The Bairns’ squad is a tight-knit one and the English ace is loving being part a Falkirk changing room full of “big characters”. He did admit however that he’s had some light-hearted stick from his team-mate for being the ‘pretty boy’ with his luscious locks... "I've had quite a few of them (pelters),” Cartwright said. “But that's it really. Even the other night going up to hospitality, Bainey (Scott) was trying to throw me under the bus with that one. People were saying about how we need a bit of fight in this league and Bainey was saying I am too pretty for all that stuff, I couldn't get stuck in. But it's all a laugh and a joke. They are all big characters. I don't know if it's because they're Scottish, I haven't got a clue, but yeah, they're all characters, they're all funny." On the trip to Tynecastle, he added: "Obviously it is a tough game, they're top-end of the league. It's going to be tough going there. The lads have said how good it is going there (Tynecastle). Like the atmosphere and stuff. I'm excited, that's why I've come up here to play in these type of environments, I am looking forward to it."
