Striker Styche signs for Bards
GIBRALTAR international striker Reece Styche will be lining up against Banbury rather than Bulgaria after signing for Stratford Town this week as manager Gavin Hurren continues to build ahead of the new season.
The 35-year-old put pen to paper on a deal with the Bards after impressing at league rivals AFC Telford United last season and believes he can help his new side’s promotion push.
Styche has been capped 31 times for Gibraltar in addition to playing a single game for England C – the national side made up of the country’s best non-league players. He has scored three international goals and his last appearance for the island nation was against Greece in the European Championship qualifiers last March.
He said: “I had originally signed at Coalville but when the club folded it left me in a bit of a predicament. I’m good friends with Vaughany (assistant manager Lee Vaughan) and we had a talk about coming to Stratford.
“After speaking to the management team and the chairman, my experience was one of the big reasons for me coming in. I keep myself in good shape and experience up front is maybe what they missed a little bit last year. Maybe better game management will bring a few more points and hopefully I will be able to help the younger lads develop their game.”
Styche admits that having played against the Bards last season, he was impressed with what he saw.
He said: “They were direct with quality and when we played them at Telford, they probably should have beaten us but missed some good chances. They were really well-drilled and Callum (Ebanks) is a real handful up front, scoring a lot of goals last season”.
And the striker, who can also list Forest Green Rovers, Kidderminster Harriers and Stourbridge among his previous clubs, said he is curious how he will be greeted by Bards skipper Paul McCone.
He added: "I like to get into the heads of centre halves, maybe giving me an edge and putting them off their game a little bit. They try and do the same to me but that’s where my experience comes in, the dark arts. My game is much more than that and my goals record over 15 years shows that, but it all helps.
“Me and Macca have had some real ding dongs and I don’t think he likes me – I’m one of those players who you hate to play against but I’m a good lad off the pitch and I’m good in the dressing room as well.
“That said, Macca always does what he can to put me off but when defenders do that it can backfire because it gives me an edge – you are best leaving me alone!”
Stratford have also announced the signing of winger Owen James and their complete list of pre-season friendlies which includes home matches against Birmingham City, Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion and county rivals Leamington.
Club bosses have also paid tribute to former Milwall keeper Matija Sarkic who died over the weekend aged just 26. The Montenegro international played seven times for the Bards in the 2018/19 season while on loan from previous club Aston Villa.
A statement from the Montenegro Football Association said he had ‘died suddenly’ on Saturday morning.
Stratford Town’s full list of pre-season games:
Saturday, July 6 – Evesham United (A)
Tuesday, July 9 – Pershore Town (H)
Saturday, July 13 – Birmingham City (H)
Tuesday, July 16 – Kidlington (H)
Saturday, July 20 – Leamington (H)
Tuesday, July 23 – West Bromwich Albion (H)
Saturday, July 27 – Coventry City (H)
Tuesday, July 30 – Loughborough Students (H)
Saturday, August 3 – Hungerford Town (H)