AS Warrington Rylands charge through the leagues, Graeme McCall has seen it all.

Having joined when the club was accepted into the North West Counties League back in 2018, the goalkeeper has played an integral part in their rise.

A part of two promotions and a memorable Wembley Stadium victory already, the goalkeeper and captain was the first to get his hands on the NPL West title this afternoon.

As someone who has seen the club grow pretty much from the ground up, it was clear how much it meant to him.

“It means the world,” he said.

“This club is my family – it’s more than a football club to me.

“To lift this trophy and lead those lads out – it’s bigger than Wembley for me.

“The work the coaches do – you never realise how much until you sit next to them at training.

“They drive us on and are second to none. They deserve this.”

Blues did it the hard way, drawing 2-2 with Bootle meaning they and the majority of the 1,200-strong crowd inside Gorsey Lane faced a nervous wait.

The possibility of relegated Market Drayton Town taking points off second-placed Workington seemed remote, but the bottom side held the Cumbrians to a 1-1 draw to start the celebrations in Warrington.

“We made hard work of it,” McCall said.

“We just didn’t come out of the blocks in the first 20 minutes of the second half.

“We said at half time that we needed to get the next goal, but we did the opposite.

“As soon as it finished 2-2, we thought we were finished.

“You’d have never thought Market Drayton would take something off Workington, but we’ll take it.”

The veteran shot-stopper passed the 100 appearance mark for Rylands earlier this season having been handed the captaincy in the summer following Vase-winning skipper Gary Kenny’s departure.

He and defender Warren Gerrard are the only remaining members of the NWCFL First Division South title-winning squad remaining, so will the Blues custodian be around to lead them at their new high?

“I don’t know. It’s not really the time to make those decisions,” he said.

“We’ll go away and then we’ll speak, but it is a big ask having just started my own company with work.

“The day will come when I leave and if that comes now, I’ve left on a high.”