‘WHITE PELE’ WYLLIE HAS ADDED TO HERO STATUS
MARKSMAN Marcus Wyllie says he will never forget scoring his play-off final goal in front of the adoring Enfield Town fans who have labelled him the ‘White Pele’.
The 24-year-old has had a remarkable season with the Towners, topping the Isthmian Premier scoring chart with 31 goals.
It has further cemented the speedy striker in the affections of the supporters, who backed him even when he wasn’t as prolific last term.
By scoring the second goal in the magnificent 3-0 victory at Chatham Town on Monday, Wyllie went a long way towards repaying their faith.
“The feeling when I ran onto the ball, hit the back of the net and heard the roar of the crowd is something I will never forget,” he told The NLP.
“The fans have been amazing for me and the whole team, and to be able to celebrate in front of them was a great feeling. “The fans first sang the ‘White Pele’ song last season and it’s very catchy. The original was for Wayne Rooney back in the day and every time I hear it, it stays ringing in my head! My teammates sing it and even when I’m at home, it will pop into my head.
“The supporters have shown me such amazing support since I joined.” Wyllie is also keen to praise boss Gavin Macpherson and assistant manager Jon Nurse for helping to turn him into a feared marksman at Step 3 level.
“Last year I was a bit inconsistent, I was playing left wing,” explained Wyllie, who works in a special educational needs school in his day job. “I spoke to Gavin when he joined last summer and he and his management staff had watched videos of me. He thought I could do really well up top.
“The last time I played up there was when I was in college, but it made sense to me when he told me how he could use me in the team. I’ve had the chance to work with Jon, who played in the Football League and the highest levels of Non-League, and he’s helped me massively with my movement. “My teammates have been able to get me into positions to create chances and take them. It’s been great.” Teammate Sam Youngs also topped the 20-goal mark as the Towners collectively hit 81 goals across their 42 league games. “Youngy has become one of my good mates over the last couple of years,” said Wyllie, who joined from Risborough Rangers in 2022. “He’s such an important player for us and 23 goals from midfield is incredible.
“We had that healthy competition to keep pushing each other and we helped each other to get the numbers we did.” The big question now will be whether Wyllie and Co. can continue to shine in National League South. “Personally, I have never played at that level, but I’m buzzing to give it a go,” he added. “The club hasn’t been there before which make it even more of a bigger deal. It’s exciting times for the club and we will give it a good crack – we are up for it.”