Brakes squad is taking shape

With Brakes' opening warm up fixture at Coventry Sphinx a little under two weeks away the manager is beginning to tie up his squad building, and faced competition to lure the 22 year old away from Barwell.

His consistent performances earned him a hat trick of awards at the Leicestershire club at the end of last season, as he picked up the Players Player of the season, while Canaries fans voted him Player of the Season, as did the Young Supporters.

“When I first spoke to the gaffer he told me about his project and his plan to bring in young, hungry players and it really stood out to me, as I felt I matched that profile,” said Ward.

"In terms of the upcoming season, I’ve matured a lot as a player in the last couple years at Step 3 with Barwell and feel I’m ready for a new challenge with a great club like Leamington in such a competitive league.”

The manager was glowing in his assessment of Ward, adding: “I'm absolutely delighted to get him on board.

"He's another promising young player who has played consistently well for the last two seasons at Step 3 with Barwell, and is certainly ready to step up into the National League.

“He is like a lot of players we have signed over the years in that he is a good age, and we feel like he has got the potential to do well at the next step, so we'll see where that takes him.

"He ticks a lot of boxes for us. We're really looking forward to working with him, and hope he has a successful and enjoyable time at Leamington.'

Meanwhile, Theo Streete, another key member of our 2023/24 promotion winning squad, has agreed terms with Paul Holleran to remain with Brakes for the new campaign.

Streete said: “Following last season I had a good chat with the gaffer. My body still feels good, and with the environment the club creates for the players it was an easy decision to stay.

"There are some great lads, fans and people behind the scenes, and I'm really excited to be a part of this new season and build on what we did last year.”