‘Millsy’ captained the Under-18s to a County Cup final and a final-day title challenge. He gives us his thoughts on a ‘nearly, but not quite’ season.
It wasn’t the ending you were hoping for, but when you look back at the season as a whole how do you summarise it?
I summarise it as one massive achievement. It wasn’t the outcome we had hoped for, but we worked hard, took each week as it came and it was great to be a part of. It was gutting to not have much to show for our efforts, but I can’t fault the boys’ performance one bit this year.
You were captain for the club’s first ever Under-18 County Cup final, how did it feel leading the team out at Lancing?
It was an incredible moment to lead the boys out. The pride I felt was a feeling I will never forget. It was a pleasure to be captain for such a good Under-18s side, and the game itself was truly fantastic. It was great to see the support that the fans gave us too, it really made the occasion special.
Not many were expecting a title challenge at the beginning of the season, and yet you came so close. Did you sense the team was capable of such a season when you first got together in July?
Honestly I never thought we had the potential to end up in the position we did. I knew we had some good players coming up from the Under-16s side, however, I didn’t feel we clicked as a side. As the season went on we grew as a team and I started to see the progress we were making. We had some good results and found ourselves in a good cup run position and were challenging for the league title.
You now move on from Under-18s but leave behind a side who have title challenge experience. Can they go one better next season?
I would love to see the boys go one better next season. All the players eligible for next year are some of the best I have played with, and its unfortunate they weren’t able to win anything as first years. I hope that new first years will be brought in with just as much passion and dedication to the team as these boys have shown this season. I am sure with more hardwork they can earn themselves a good title challenge next year.
You were also a big part of the league winning Under-21 side. After the disappointments of the previous weeks, you must have enjoyed getting your hands on the trophy?
I couldn’t agree more. I was so disheartened after the previous week so it was hard to get in the right mindset for the game. Getting my hands on the Under-21s league trophy for the second year in a row meant a great deal to me and it was a great way to end the season.
Is there a noticeable difference when moving up from the Under-18s to the Under-21s, in your opinion?
One key difference for me has always been the tempo of the game. The Under-21s set such a fast paced standard which shows the extra few years of experience. However, both sides set up a similar way with regards to formation and tactics which makes it good to see the progression. Physicality also plays a large part in the challenge of Under-21s football.
You played under manager Kieran Ridley for both sides, how key has he been in the successes of the teams?
For me, Kieran has been fantastic. I’ve only played under him for two years as a player and have learnt so much already. His tactics and hardwork has made this season’s achievements possible. I have never played with a manager who has so much passion for what he does, so I was glad we could take the Under-21s league title as something to show for all his efforts.
And finally, what has been the highlight of your season?
I feel this season I have had two main highlights which stand out. The first being walking out of the tunnel at the Sussex County FA in Lancing with the captain’s armband on. It meant so much to me to captain a side who placed second throughout the whole of this county. The second being the moment the final whistle blew against Little Common at home, where we clinched a victory to win the Under-21s league. Lifting that trophy meant so much to me after the unfortunate results of the previous week, so when that whistle blew it made the hardwork seem worth it.
Millsy and the rest of this season’s Under-18s will be in action at the Trafalgar Ground on Friday 5th May as they take on a Newhaven Coaches XI.
