Walters returns as Easterlow continues Brakes squad rebuild with two more signings

Walters is back six years after first spending a spell at Leamington on loan from Coventry City.

After putting pen to paper, Walters said: “I loved my time at Leam during my loan spell, and ever since then I’ve wanted to come back.

“It feels like the right time, especially with Scotty as manager. I’ve been looking forward to playing under him for a long time, so I’m excited to get started.”

Having started out at Romulus before being picked up by Tamworth, Walters spent a loan spell at Sutton Coldfield Town before being picked up by then League One side Coventry City on a two year deal.

It was during his time with the Sky Blues that he was sent out on loan to Brakes along with team mate Callum Maycock, in October 2019.

Both players had their loans extended, and remained with us until that season was cut short by the outbreak of Covid.

After leaving Coventry, Walters returned to Tamworth, before a loan spell with Mickleover.

He has since gained a great deal of experience at Step 3 and 4 with the likes of Stratford Town, Stourbridge, Bedworth United, and most recently Long Eaton United, where he played 38 games and scored eight goals last season.

Easterlow added: “Dex is a lad who knows this club well from his time here before, he’s another forward thinking player who will bring a spark at the top end of the pitch.

“His trickery and ability to take people on one v one will be an exciting watch for the fans.”

A day earlier, Easterlow added more midfield ingenuity to his squad by snapping up Kyle Belmonte from divisional rivals Worcester City.

The 27-year-old has played for both of his home city's clubs, also spending a spell at Raiders earlier in his career, which other than short spells at Stratford Town and Walsall Wood, has mainly been spent playing for a number of Worcestershire's non league sides.

“I'm over the moon to be here,' said Belmonte.

“It's a massive club, one of the biggest in the league. Going from Worcester to Bromsgrove, to Leamington, it's big club to big club to big club.

“Scott's tried to speak to me a few times over the summer, but I've had a fair few holidays so we couldn't really talk much.

“Once we had a proper conversation I realised that Leamington is the club for me.

“It's ideal coming here, only an hour from home. Scott drove it, to prove a point!

“I'm more than happy to be here and play under him as I know how he wants to play - keep the ball and play football.”

Beginning at now defunct Upton Town, he had spells with Malvern Town and Kidderminster Harriers before Kyle's form at Worcester Raiders earned him a move further up the pyramid to Alvechurch.

A stint with Bewdley Town then led to a move to Evesham United.

A productive couple of seasons in the Southern League South West Division with The Robins, winning the Golden Boot and Fans Player of the Season awards, saw him back at Redditch United in 2023/24, where he had played earlier in his career.

But by the September of that season Kyle had moved on to Worcester City, and went on to help them to back to back promotions from the Hellenic League to the Southern Premier Central, scoring over 60 goals and playing over 100 games in the process.

He scored 43 times in Worcester's Hellenic League title winning season, and then won the Northern Premier League Midlands Division's Goal of the Season award the following year.

Kyle seems to have a penchant for the odd spectacular strike, as is born out by his goal for Bromsgrove Sporting on the final day of last season.

He spent the final couple of months of the campaign on loan with the Rouslers, helping them avoid relegation and picking up the Player of the Month award in March for his performances in his first few weeks there.

Easterlow said: “Belmo is another very strong addition to the squad.

“He’s someone who I have tried to sign a couple of times before - an action packed midfielder who’s capable of adding goals and assists too.

“He’s a player who I know the fans will really enjoy having here.”