With the battle to avoid relegation from the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central hotting up, Stourbridge have added some extra experience with Nathan Hayward beginning his third stint at the Black Country club.
The 34 year-old has been brought in from League rivals, Worcester City, where he played an integral role in their upturn in fortunes.
“This is a challenge that I am really looking forward to,” Hayward told us. “I understand the circumstances that I am coming into here and I thrive off it.
“It gives me something to fight for with the team; I’ll be one of the ‘elder statesmen’ in the team and I’m well aware of the responsibility that this comes with.
“I’ll be aiming to pass on my experience to the younger lads around me and make a contribution towards us achieving our objectives.
“Knowing the Chairman and a few of the lads already here helped me make the decision to return, but having spoken to the Gaffer, it was a no-brainer. He spoke so well about what he wants to do here; it’s a fresh start and a new chapter for me.
“I’ve had a couple of previous spells here but they didn’t last all that long in the great scheme of things, so hopefully this time I can stay around longer and really get this club moving again in the right direction.
“Everything is set up to do that. I know exactly what competitive this League is where everyone is capable of beating each other. You can never predict who is going to win on any fixture and that’s what makes it so interesting and exciting to be involved in.
“Obviously the main aim is to secure Step 3 status and start building some momentum to take into next season. I know that it’s been a tough time for the club on and off the pitch, but there are better days on the horizon and we are moving towards them.
“From a personal point of view, I just want to enjoy my football and the environment that I’m in. If I can do that, everything else will fall into place.”
Saturday sees Hayward and his team-mates take on an in-form Real Bedford who are flying high in the table in what is their first season at this level. They are fresh from a 5-0 away win at Bishop’s Stortford on Tuesday evening.
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