Diamonds Duo Sign Contracts
AFC Rushden & Diamonds are delighted to announce that current players Alfie Taylor and Joe Merrill have signed contracts with the club.
Both players joined in the summer and were instrumental in the Diamonds’ early season form, Joe and Alfie have signed until the end of the 2013/2014 season with a further option.
With the award of contract being an unusual measure in Step 6 football, AFC R&D Chairman Ralph Burditt explained in greater detail to afcdiamonds.com “When myself and the management team sat down in pre-season to discuss the kind of squad that we would look to build at the club, we were all of the opinion that it was important that a significant part of the squad should consist of young, hungry players with potential and ambition who could develop during their time at AFC R&D. I believe we’ve achieved that aim and if you look around the dressing room at the likes of Louis Smith, Ashley Foulger, Sam Brown, Jake Gillingwater, Jack Wisniewski and Séan McBride amongst others, you can see the potential that we have at the club. Joe and Alfie definitely fall into this category and during their relatively short time here have shown that they have great potential the desire to develop as players. Both are fully committed to what we are trying to achieve at AFC Rushden & Diamonds and were delighted when I first spoke to them about the possibility of signing a contract. It’s important for everyone at the club that we create a sense of stability within the squad and also that we protect the investment, both monetarily and in terms of time, that we are making in training our players. These aren’t necessarily the only contracts that we will look to put in place this season and I hope that this sends a clear message to the rest of the squad that they too could earn a playing contract at the club.”
Alfie spoke after signing his contract and said “I believe this club is going places, when I talked to the management and chairman pre-season they promised certain things and I was happy to sign non contract terms, they have delivered on what they promised and I am delighted to sign this contract.”
Image courtesy of Chas Rust
