Loyal Matt notches up 15 years’ service with the Chairboys
ADVENT calendars run up to December 24, but Matt Bloomfield’s countdown stopped yesterday.
On the 22nd the Wycombe man celebrated a very special milestone – 15 years of service at Adams Park since he was snapped up as a fresh-faced free agent by then-Chairboys boss Tony Adams.
After a single appearance with boyhood club Ipswich Town, Bloomfield arrived in Buckinghamshire as a 19-yearold with no sense of the special relationship about to blossom.
Now 34, the Wanderers club captain – who is set to make his 500th appearance for his side any week now – can look back fondly on a job well done.
“Fifteen years in life is a long time, but 15 years in football is even longer – it seems like such a massive period of time in this game,” he said.
“It’s such a short career, people move around so often, but to be in one place for 15 years has been fantastic.
“It’s a fantastic club, it’s been really good to me over the years and I’d like to think I’ve not been too bad in return.” But Bloomfield isn’t resting on his laurels just yet, as he continues his recovery from knee ligament damage sustained back in October.
“I tend not to celebrate these things too much, because there’s always something further forward to look at,” he continued.
Dedication
“In football at the end of the season you can maybe enjoy things, but the thing is there’s always another day of training you’ve got to be ready for.
“There’s always another game next week that you want to get picked for, so you can’t rest on anything.
“If you do, there’s always someone to take your place.” It’s that unwavering dedication to his profession that has proved the bedrock for Bloomfield’s longevity, paying huge dividends as he now reaches the twilight of his playing days.
After promotion to League One earlier this year, fans are whispering about the possibility of repeating the trick after a remarkable start to the campaign that has seen them rise as high as ninth.
Bloomfield was squarely at the heart of the Chairboys’ promotion push last campaign and is relishing the chance to attempt to reach the second tier for the first time in the club’s 131-year history.
Unsurprisingly, however, for a man with his UEFA A licence as good as in the post and a sports journalism degree under his belt, Bloomfield is long enough in the tooth to remain reserved when promotion is concerned.
“Fifty-five points is our aim – that would guarantee our safety – so the quicker we can hit 55 the better, which means that we’re in League One for another season,” he added.
“If we hit that before the end of the season then we’ll reassess, but we can’t get carried away.
“We’ve got one of the lowest budgets in the league and we’ve got one of the smallest attendances, but we’re fighting above our weight at this point in time - there’s no reason why that can’t continue.
“We’re ticking on nicely at the minute and it’s a happy club to go into work every day, so long may that continue.
“As a group of players, we want to hit 55 points as soon as possible and then reassess.
“If that happens in April, then that reassessment doesn’t go on for too long, but if it happens in January or February then you set your sights slightly higher.”