He’s back, and he’s hungry for more.
We’re thrilled to confirm that Matty Stenson, the leading scorer in the Southern League Premier Central last season, has agreed terms to extend his stay with the Bucks.
Matty netted 32 goals to help fire us to promotion and smashed records in the process, and he will spearhead our push to maintain our upward momentum as we return to the National League North.
Goal scorers are in demand, but despite inevitable interest from other clubs in securing his services, Matty has committed to us, providing a significant boost to manager Kevin Wilkin’s plans and signalling our desire to thrive, not just survive.
Re-engaging Matty was a high priority on Kevin’s summer ‘to-do’ list, and as well as his signing, several other players have also signalled their wish to remain at the club and paperwork is in the process of being completed. There may even be a new name or two for you…
Over the next few days, we will begin announcing those signings. However, knowing that Matty was one that many fans would be eager to find out about, we decided to give you what you’ve been waiting for.
Asked about his decision to remain a Buck, Matty said:
“I’m delighted, absolutely delighted. Since the moment I came back to the club, I’ve loved every single minute of it. Hopefully, we can enjoy the next two years, and who knows what can happen? We might go again and get promoted again, so I’m looking forward to the times ahead.”
Talk of promotion might surprise people, but Matty is in no doubt that the club’s ambition isn’t just to stand still.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have signed if I thought we weren’t going in the right direction or our aim was just to stay in the league. Of course, I’m looking at it positively. Why can’t we do what Tamworth did, and go and get promoted again?”
Matty admitted that his head could have been turned by other clubs’ financial offers, but confessed that it was love and happiness that meant more to him when making his decision.
“When you get the sort of love from people that I’ve had here, you can’t beat it. You realise you’re in your happy place, and when you’re happy and enjoying it, everything just falls into place. I’ve loved my football here since returning, but being happy is one of the reasons why; it’s the main reason why. I had a lot of offers where, financially, I would have been better off, but as I’m getting older, I’m realising that it doesn’t buy you happiness. I’m happy, my kids are happy, and the love I get from the fans doesn’t go just one way. I meet fans and I can tell how much the club means to them, and that means the world to me as well.”
Matty performed an almost clean sweep at our end-of-season awards in May. Not only did Matty receive recognition for his achievements, but he would have been left in little doubt of the love for him amongst our supporters.
As a forward in his playing days, Bucks manager Kevin Wilkin has an additional appreciation for players who know how to find the net, and he was in no doubt that Matty can prosper with the Bucks at Step 2.
“There was no question of us not wanting to retain Matty, and I’m delighted that he wanted to remain part of what we’re building. Goal scorers are hard to find, so when you have one, you want to keep them. He had a fantastic season for us; he’s one of the best finishers I’ve worked with, and he’s got experience at the level we’re going to. You take a bit of a chance with some players because you can see the potential, but we largely tried to bring in players for Step 3 who had played at a higher level to help us get back up, but also to make that transition, and Matty is certainly one of those.”
We’re sure you’ll join us in welcoming Matty back to the SEAH Stadium, and we’d also like to thank Matty’s advisers, Oscar and Oakley, for their help in making Matty’s return run smoothly – good job, boys, and we look forward to seeing you next season too.
