Warrington Town defender to make 100th league appearance

Quietly but efficiently, he has become part of the furniture at Warrington Town since becoming one of Paul Carden’s very first signings at the club.

If, as expected, he plays at Mickleover on Saturday, he will be playing in the league for Yellows for the 100th time.

It is the kind of longevity you rarely see in non-league football, where player turnover is so high with no transfer windows limiting movement.

However, he is a symbol of what the club has become under Carden’s leadership – solid, consistent and loyal.

He may not start every game and indeed there will be weeks where he does not make it off the bench, but he is as key a member of this Town squad as anybody.

Mitch Duggan in action on his Warrington Town debut against Rushall Olympic back in November 2016. Picture: John Hopkins

Why? Because his versatility makes it akin to having several players rolled into one and with Town running a smaller squad, it really is a Godsend for Carden.

Right back, left back, central midfield, central defence – it is tough to think of a position he has not been asked to fill during his five years at Cantilever Park.

No fuss is made, he just gets on with it. If for some reason he was ever asked to go in goal, he would give as good as he got.

He does so with distinction, too. He is one of those players you can pretty much guarantee a seven out of 10 from every week.

This season has probably been his Yellows career in a microcosm – filling in as and where needed and doing so with aplomb.

Having started the campaign in central midfield, he’s had a spell at right back and is now performing well in the heart of the defence alongside skipper Mark Roberts.

If the season was to finish now, he would probably be in my top three for any Town player of the season award alongside striker Jordan Buckley and goalkeeper Dan Atherton.

He may not always get the credit he deserves, but the Warrington Town squad would be a lot poorer without him in it.