Swift signing for Little

Last updated : 30 May 2014 By Tony Scholes
Playing against Burnley in the Central League in 2011

Little joined Wealdstone last season having been released by Wrexham, and he made 31 league appearances for them, 20 of them in the starting eleven, to help them win the Ryman Premier League and win promotion to the Conference South.

He proved to be a very astute signing for them and they were keen for him to stay. However, he has made the difficult decision to, in effect, drop two divisions, with Wealdstone admitting to being disappointed but accepting of his decision which is mainly based on travelling and family issues.

Manager Glen Bartlett said: "It's always disappointing when a player of Glen's quality moves on, but we must be grateful for his outstanding contribution both on and off the field last season. He was a shining example of the true professional he has been and was a massive influence on our success last season.

"His personal situation and the fact that he is a year older and we have gone up a level have all been factors in the combined decision. After a long discussion, we both felt it was the right decision for everyone concerned.

"Glen is aware we need to continue building for the future which has made this a very amicable departure as both sides can see the others point of view. We thank him for his short but successful time with us and wish him every success as he joins his good friend at Heybridge Swifts."

That good friend is the Swifts' manager Jody Brown. He said: "This signing has been on the cards for some time. He is a top pro and proved that last year in his first season in part time football. I saw him play three or four times last season and he was outstanding.

"Everyone will pick things up from Glen and his experience of big games and promotions will help me develop also."

He added: "On and off the field we have a huge asset in Glen. The fans will absolutely love him and our young midfielders and wide players will learn so much from him."

It's ten years since he left Turf Moor, opting to run down his last contract and leave for Reading, for whom he had previously played on loan, on a free transfer where he went on to win promotion to the Premier League two years later. He played his last game for Reading, who he rejoined on loan from Portsmouth, in the play-off semi-final against the Clarets and then went on to play for both Sheffield United and Aldershot before moving into the non-league with Wrexham.

Signed by Adrian Heath during the 1996/97 season it was during the second half of the following season before he established himself in the first team and he went on to play over 280 games for the Clarets, scoring in his last game against Sunderland before that move to Reading.