Anyone watching the Derby game cannot help but be impressed by seeing Kevin Gall, our new number nine from Carlisle Utd. His effort and workrate seem impressive, and his blistering pace will surely terrorise League Two. The question is, can he provide the goals that will fire us into League One?
Kevin Gall started as a trainee at Newcastle before moving on to Bristol Rovers. However it was his move from there to Yeovil that really started his career, shortly after signing for the Glovers he hit three in an away game at Halifax and then four in a 6-1 romp over Burton Albion. The following season he immediately endeared himself to the Yeovil fans with a brace in their opening League game against Rochdale.
However he began to find goals hard to come by and only registered 10 in his first season with Yeovil. However sharing the striking responsibility with the prolific Phil Jevons meant that his pace and workrate ultimately contributed much to Yeovil.
He hit 29 goals in three seasons at Yeovil and became something of a cult hero, with the classic 'Kevin gall, Kevin Gall, Kevin Kevin Gall, He gets the ball he scores a goal, Kevin Kevin Gall' being adapted for him. The ultimate homage a section of fans can give a player is creating an original chant for him, but adapting an existing one is almost as much of an honour. Indeed on social networking site 'Bebo' there is even a Kevin Gall fan club set up by Yeovil fans (mainly teenage girls though).
A free transfer to ambitious Carlisle followed, and 18 months there he struck eleven goals before falling out of favour. However Carlisle fans were a little more critical of the strikers ability, claiming that he appears to be gods gift to football at first, but then runs out of steam. Indeed one messageboard even claims that he is shot shy and has a tendency to hide on the pitch. However it is accepted that his pace is an asset.
A loan spell at Darlington followed before he was offered a contract by the MLS (Major Soccer League) to perform on the same stage as David Beckham. He had a spell with Toronto FC, and at the time all seemed positive: The MLS club were coached by ex Newcastle coach John Carver and had former Celtic and Rangers striker Mo Johnston as their general manager. At the time Carlisle manager and ex Lincoln City legend John Ward was hopeful a deal might be struck.
"I worked with Maurice Johnston at Wolves and they contacted us around the time Kevin came back from Darlington," Ward told the local paper News & Star.
"They are aware of him and they want to have a look at him for a few days with a view to it becoming permanent. Kevin fancies the idea himself, so we will see if it comes to fruition."
Ward revealed that Gall wasn't part of his first team plans and as such allowed the forward to have a look at a move.
"I would have liked to have left it until after the Easter weekend, but everybody in the squad is fit and with Scott Dobie coming back into it, I've agreed to let Kevin go. Kevin has been very professional about it and although he's got another year left on his contract, he realises he's probably got to look elsewhere and I was quite prepared to help him."
This all seems to support the theory that he had run out of steam with Carlisle. However Toronto were suitably impressed and at the end of the year a move seemed on the cards. Remember the MLS is where Darren Huckerby agreed to move to, and Toronto were one of the clubs linked with him. However for Gall the move didn't come off, despite his trial being successful.
His agent spoke at the time of the reason the move broke down, saying "It was just a case of us not agreeing terms, Kevin was keen to go and he did very well, but we could not finalise the move."
It seems therefore that money could have been a problem, it certainly wouldn't have been a lack of former English based players as Danielle Dichio and Carl Robinson also featured for Toronto.
However Gall came back to England and was told he could leave for another club. A host of clubs were chasing him, most notably Leyton Orient and Cheltenham. It is also thought that Shrewsbury were looking at him, and it'd appear that a move there would have suited him, to be closer to his home town of Merthyr. However it was Peter Jackson who convinced the striker to rejuvenate his career at Sincil Bank.
So that brings us to the present day where Kevin Gall is our number nine, and the jury has already delivered its verdict. Irrespective of what fans from Carlisle Utd think, Gall has already done what it takes to get the fans behind him, and that is run his heart out for all 210 minutes he has worn a City shirt. He pressures defences, and his pace means some of the older legs in League Two are going to have to work very hard to stop him bagging a hatful of goals. His home debut comes on Saturday, a chance to show 5,000 Imps fans exactly what he can do, and there's no doubt if he were to slot the winner in at the Stacey West end, then he'd become the instant fans hero.
Will he keep it up? LCM certainly thinks so. Gall has six months to prove his worth, six months to put the ball in the net, or create the chances for Big Ben Wright to increase his goals tally. If he's successful then perhaps he'll be our number nine for years to come. If he isn't then perhaps he'll become the typical League Two / Conference journeyman. However given Peter Jacksons current record in the transfer market I suspect that Kevin Galls career may just have fallen back on track.
Gall gave Radio Tyne Tees an interview during his loan spell at Darlington, click the link below to see a full copy of that interview.