We must keep hold of our best players, says Brady

It has been an excellent campaign for the talented nineteen-year-old midfielder, as Richmond has scooped the player-of-the year; the players’ player-of-the-year; young-player-of-the-year and website player-of-the-year.

Brady, who scooped the club’s golden boot award, having scored nineteen goals this season, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk "He’s the first name on the teamsheet, if I’m not playing.

"He’s just everything you want out of a player at this level. He gives you everything, you know exactly what you’re going to get out of him, he’s got unbelievable quality and he’s improved throughout the season.

"Good luck to him with his four awards and I think he can only get better next year."

Sittingbourne have just missed out on the Ryman League Division One South play-off’s this season – and Brady blamed his side’s home form.

Saturday’s comfortable 3-1 win over Whyteleafe was only their seventh league win of the season on home soil and the club are desperate to improve matters for next season as they decrease the size of the pitch by twelve yards.

And Brady said, "I think the pitch hasn’t suited us too much. We’re looking to sort it out for next season, making it smaller and put some more grass on it.

"We like to play, we’ve signed players who like to play football and out there it’s difficult than your Kingstonian’s and your Cray’s. When we go and do our best work, it tends to be on nicer pitches so that’s what we’ve got to look at."

Sittingbourne complete their campaign with a trip to Leatherhead on Saturday – a meaningless game according to Brady.

"I mean the season’s done for us," he said. All through from December, January, we said to the boys you don’t want to be involved at the end of the season with meaningless games that don’t mean anything.

"It’s the worst thing for a footballer, just no point in playing, we’re just playing for pride.

"We’ll go there and give it a go and try and win, obviously with nothing really riding on it.

"We know where we’ve finished (sixth place), we’ll go there and maybe try a couple of different things and look towards next season I suppose."

Brady and manager Gary Abbott will discuss budgets with chairman Andy Spice as they plan for next season’s promotion push.

"We’ve got to look at the budget we’ve got, hopefully we won’t lose too many players," hoped Brady.

"I think they’re enjoying it here, it’s a good club to be at (with) the way that things are worked, it’s professional.

"So we need to keep hold of the players, then I think we can really go for it and we’ll be looking to win it."

One player who is expected to leave is midfielder Mark De Bolla, who is set to move to America to assist with his dad’s business.

Brady added, "I think as a squad we look pretty strong, but we’ve got to wait and see what happens over the close season and pre-season and see what we’ve got.

"Obviously we haven’t got the budget to throw money at it, so we’ll see what we’ll do."

When asked what is required, Brady replied, "We need an injection of pace, other than the team we had out (on the pitch today), we’re not missing a lot."

Brady (who has scored 19 goals this season) admits Sittingbourne have missed former Dartford striker Tom Bradbrook, who thanks to injury has started just 28 games this season, scoring 14 goals.

"Take 33 goals out of your strike force and that will effect anyone," said eye-injury victim Brady.

"I’m played with Tom and he’s done exactly what you’ve wanted. He’s won the ball in the air, he’s worked hard, has grafted and I’ve just played off him, which I like doing.

"That’s why I brought him here. I went and signed him because that’s what he does. He wins balls in the air, he makes himself a nuisance and I like playing off players like that.

"If you take two of us, not one, out and it will have an effect on any club."

Boss Abbott, meanwhile, revealed that "there’s a few people interested in Tom Bradbrook."

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Leatherhead v Sittingbourne
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 25^th April 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Fetcham Grove, Guildford Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9AS