Reds investing in young blood
ACCRINGTON Stanley continued their preparations for the new League One season and beyond by agreeing deals with two young players.
Defender Harvey Rodgers, 24, has signed a new two-year deal at the club while 21-year-old midfielder Tommy Leigh joins from non-league Bognor Regis.
Rodgers is already well known to Reds fans having joined the club from Fleetwood in 2018. He can play at full-back or centre half, and, while he didn’t start season 2020/21 in the first eleven, he was in the team regularly in November and was first choice for most of the games, although he was out with an injury in January.
Overall he made 29 appearances during the campaign where the Reds finished 11th, compared to just eight the season before. And now he’s looking to build on the success of last season.
“I was happy with the way last season went, I played a lot more games than I thought I was going to from the previous season,” said Rodgers.
“Even though I played in a position I am not used to as much, as it went on I enjoyed it a lot more and I am happy to sign another two years.
“It is hard when you aren’t playing, you have got to keep mentally strong and wait for your chances and then try and take them when they come and I think I did that a lot more last season.
“Hopefully I can get in the side earlier this season and stay there.
“There are times you start doubting yourself ‘are you good enough?’ when you are in and out of the team. Once you get a good run in the team, you start believing in yourself again and last season helped me a lot in that way.
“We have a good competition for defenders. Last season there was injuries which helped me get in the team, there are a lot of games and you can’t usually play every single game and it’s always good to have competition.”
Rodgers first came on loan to Stanley in 2017 from Hull City and will now be at the club until 2023.
“I can’t get away from the place! I do enjoy it here,” he said. “The lads last year were a good set of lads, the best I have been with, and all the other lads will say the same. We were a close knit group and I think you could tell by the way we played for each other.”
He is relishing the new League One campaign with Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham and Wycombe relegated and Cheltenham, Cambridge, Bolton and Morecambe coming up.
“Three big teams dropped down from the Championship so it will be good to play against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday. That’s a big ground, a big club, but I feel we play better against the better teams and there is no reason why we can’t win there.”
And he can’t wait for the return of the fans to the Wham.
“It will be weird having them back but good as well and hopefully they can push us on and try and get us toward the Play-Offs.”
Meanwhile, John Coleman will be hoping he has uncovered another nonleague gem in Leigh.
The 21-year-old midfielder was spotted playing for Bognor Regis in the Isthmian League and has signed a two-year deal with the Reds.
Leigh said: “I started my football career at Portsmouth when I was younger and I got released when I was around 16 and went to Porchester, played reserve football, then went to Baffins Milton Rovers and then Bognor Regis and played there for two years. I got scouted from Accrington Stanley, came over, played two friendly games and then after spoke to my agent and they offered me two years up here.
“It’s a massive jump, around four leagues, it’s going to be tough. I am going to have to work hard and knuckle down and just hopefully get into the first team squad.
“At Bognor, I was working on site doing labouring work which wasn’t very nice but had to do it to earn the money so this is massive for me.
“I am over the moon, it’s brilliant.”
Leigh can fit into a number of roles.
“I play central defensive midfielder, I get the ball and move it about, and I can also play No 10 and hopefully score a couple of goals but I have got to work hard now.
“The lads are brilliant here, a good laugh, it’s hard as I haven’t done full-time before and my legs are hurting but you have to keep going.
“My mum has been crying a lot, she misses me, I miss her but life goes on. I have got to build up and keep going.
“I am nervous, I have never played at this level before, League One is a massive jump. I haven’t played with thousands of fans but I am buzzing!”