Matt Valentine

With a football Career spanning 26 years, like cream Matt Valentine has risen to the top hence now playing for the world famous Hesketh Casuals.

Early footballing days saw Valentine playing for Foxhall Boys, Hawes Side School and also representing Blackpool Schools; finishing Lancashire runners up in both the League and Cup to Blackburn Schools.

Moving on to a Rugby playing high school, Valentine missed out on a bit of football but still found himself part of the 1992 Lancashire Champions Rugby team instead!! Outside of school Football was still his first love and continued to play for Fleetwood Town Youth Team and Foxhall Boys (going on to finish playing 12 seasons for them and still holding the record for most appearances for them)

When Sunday morning football came a knocking, Valentine answered the call and at the tender age of 15 started playing for Highfield Social.
The next season saw him start playing for Claremont Sports ( Who would later become Burlington Villa)and also start playing on Saturdays in the West Lancs league for Norcross and Warbreck.

Valentine stayed at Claremont Sports for 6 years until H & A in the Premier Division poached him to bolster their defence after they had seen him playing for his new Saturday team, Squires Gate (North West Counties) where he won supporters player of the year 1999.

Tragedy struck in 2000 as Valentine broke his knee cap and was forced out of the game for 5 years, not returning to a grass pitch until being dragged from his premature retirement by the immature Hesketh Casuals scout Barry Fellows (he may have still been a cub at that point, im not sure)

In his first game the hugely experienced Valentine not only set up 2 goals but also scored a 40 yard free kick.

Ever since then Valentine has tried to push this achievement to live up to Casuals high standards and it wasnt until the end of the 2006-2007 season that managed to score from a free kick in his own half away at Old Mancunians.

Watch this space for more wonder goals from the seasoned veteran!!

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