Solomon reflects on leaving island life for Tranmere

BBC News

24-04-2025

Tranmere Rovers winger Sol Solomon admits he struggled to settle in at the start of his time at the League Two club.The 24-year-old Jerseyman - who began his career with Jersey Bulls - joined the League Two side after being promoted to the National League North with Marine.Solomon featured regularly over the Christmas and New Year period, scoring twice, before being sidelined by injury."It was horrible, I was nervous, it was like going to school, I didn't know anyone, I didn't like it at all," he told BBC Sport of his first day at Tranmere. "I was out of my comfort zone to be honest, I think I was like that for the first month or so. I'm quite a shy person anyway, so going and speaking to people, I couldn't think of anything worse."I feel like I've settled in quite well now and I'm mates with all of the lads and I enjoy coming in every day."
With fellow islander Luke Harris on loan at Birmingham City, Solomon's rise is starting to draw more interest to football in Jersey, though some of his team-mates needed help placing where he is from."I've had to explain on the map where it is, they thought it was New Jersey, I got a bit of stick for it," he added.It's been a turbulent season for Tranmere, who are closing in on EFL survival after fighting relegation and seeing manager Nigel Adkins replaced by his assistant Andy Crosby on an interim basis."It took me a while to get into the team, but I think that's pretty normal," Solomon said."When I was in the team, I thought I was playing well but unfortunately I got injured and it cut my season short."It's a big jump, I'd be lying if I said it was easy. It's been tough adapting, coming into full time, you can't really afford to have a day where you're not at it, whereas before you could get away with it, because the standards aren't as high as what they are here. Once I realised that, it's a case of kicking on and proving I deserve to be here."It took me a few months to get up to the level that I needed to be, once I was at that level, I think I showed people 'he can play.'"
Interim boss Andy Crosby hasn't been able to use Solomon since replacing Adkins, but has seen his progression at the club."What impressed me about him was his enthusiasm, his willingness to learn, it's obviously a big step up in terms of football and from a life experience, coming over here in a city he doesn't really know, I think he found it quite tough to start with," Crosby told BBC Sport."I think now he's settled in to the area he's living in, he had become more of a focal point in the team, he was getting regular game time until his injury."I think the football club sees a lot of potential in him."Solomon scored 60 goals in 71 appearances for Jersey Bulls and had trials at Luton Town prior to his move to the UK.He signed a one-year deal with Rovers last summer, with his future to be decided."It's made me even hungrier to keep at the top level for as long as I can, so looking after my body, to prolong being a professional athlete," he said.