Ryan East claims that he is having one of the best seasons of his professional life at Rochdale Football Club.
The midfield player made the move permanent in December after initially joining on loan from Bradford City in the summer.
Speaking on Thursday on BBC Radio Manchester’s Total Sport programme, East expressed his love for Dale and his desire to repay Head Coach Jimmy McNulty for his belief in him.
“I’m really enjoying it,” he said.
“At first, I signed on loan, and I instantly fell in love with the team.” I had no excuse not to commit to my future because I was having so much fun with football.
I’m having one of my happiest football seasons in a very long time. I have a lot of faith from the gaffer and crew. I experienced that, and by remaining, I believe I’m returning that faith and working to eventually assist the club in returning to its rightful place.
Since joining the team in August, East has started every game and amassed 30 appearances, four goals.
The young player from Reading is enjoying working with McNulty, and he disclosed how a former teammate made the move to Dale possible.
“[Playing for Dale’s Head Coach] has been amazing.” I knew a few of the guys who played for him the previous season, and when I let him know I might be available on loan, a few of the guys messaged him to say they thought we’d have a great working relationship.
“I feel like that’s how it’s been ever since I walked through the door, and I can only speak well of him.
“I was talking to one of my friends that I was at Reading with when it quickly arrived in the summer. “Jim would love you at Rochdale; I’ll message him to find out the script,” he uttered. That was when things really got moving.
The 25-year-old expressed gratitude to the fans for their support of him and the team this season.
“I’ve felt the fans’ gratitude since the first week. That was my second game [for the club], and I thought I was well received. From then on, it grew.
It was nice when I had a song written about me! Social media has been beneficial in that I receive a lot of kind messages from people.
“I don’t think the previous season was the most enjoyable from the perspective of the fans. They seem to be looking for a squad that fights for the badge, and I believe we deliver that.
This season, there have been times when we’ve only had 11 or 12 players available, but we’ve still managed to produce outcomes. They want a team like that, in my opinion, and we provide it for them.
East’s entire interview is available to stream on BBC Sounds. Listen to the beginning at 41 minutes in.
He discusses the National League, the team’s unity, and the upcoming game against Altrincham on Saturday.
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