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Veteran striker Brian Beresford was celebrating today after being named West Midlands League Player-of-the-Year – at the grand old age of 37.
It is the crowning glory for the front-runner who defied the advance of years last season to notch 33 goals as Gresley Rovers stormed to their second successive league title. He said: “It’s always nice to pick up club awards, but to collect the league award is just brilliant. I was chuffed to bits when Gresley’s secretary Rod Summers rang me with the news. It’s a great honour.”
Beresford takes over the mantle from strike partner Paul Acklam, making Gresley the first club to win the award in successive seasons.
Now he his setting his sights on trying to repeat his “goalden” form in the Beazer Homes Midland Division.
He said: “Last season I wasn’t expecting a regular place, but a couple of players suffered a bad loss of form and let me back into the side, I obviously hope I’ll be able to keep it going at the higher level. When you reach my time in life people keep saying to me that I’m getting near to the end of my career, but at the moment I don’t feel that is the case.
“My general fitness and sharpness is good and the only problem I’ve got is with an ankle knock I got at the end of last season. I suffered a bit of nerve damage, but I’m receiving regular hospital treatment now and hopefully that will clear the problem up in time for the start of the new season.”
