Trussell aims to get one over Carrick

Having established himself as one of the most prolific marksmen in the Irish League’s second tier, he’s now targeting three points against the club which nurtured his footballing talents as a kid and gave him his first taste of Championship 1 action.

As a teenager, Trussell (inset) spent one-and-a-half seasons with the Rangers first-team. But the 26-year-old insists his Taylor’s Avenue connections won’t have any bearing on how he plays on Saturday as he and his team-mates aim to end a three-game losing streak in the league.

“I grew up in the town and Carrick were my first club.” he said. “I came up through the youth ranks and had a couple of seasons there in my younger days. Unfortunately it didn’t work out at that stage, mainly because of injury.

“Carrick are probably one of the best sides in the league but on our day we can beat anyone.

“First and foremost, we are looking to go out and get three points under the belt. That’s the most important thing for Ballyclare.

“I know a lot of the Carrick guys through football and I know Gary (Haveron) and I’ve a lot of respect for him as a manager. But at the end of the day, I want to turn them over and get the win.”