Ryan Miles | New Signing Interview | 22.05

New Needham signing Ryan Miles discusses joining the Marketmen. 

DK: First of all welcome to the club, first of all could you talk us through your career so far? 

RM: I started off at Lowestoft at 16 playing a couple games including a final, funnily enough against Needham Market then moving to Wroxham at 17 coming through the reserves to the first team and been I’ve been there until now. Personal accolades would be the top goal scorer of the Thurlow Nunn Premier league in the season Wroxham got promoted to step 4. As of trophies it would be winning the County FA Youth Cup with Norfolk.

 

DK: What would you say are the top 3 highlights of your career so far and why?

RM: Promotion with Wroxham, Winning the County FA Youth Cup and winning the golden boot at step 5.

DK: What was the driving factor in your decision to join the club?

RM: When I met up with Tom he explained to me the ambition of the club and it was clear where they wanted to go with the facilities and improvements being made. Also the opportunity to play a league above in step 3.

DK: How much of the club did you know of before joining ?

RM: In all honesty I didn’t know much at all about the club or the team, the lads will all be fresh faces to me, which will be a good change after playing for one team for so long.

DK: How did joining us come about?

RM: It was really out of the blue, Craig Parker a former Needham player who I played with at Wroxham last year thought I could be someone Tom would be interested in and add value to the plans going forward and for Tom I understand he tried bringing me to the club 2 or 3 years ago but being under contract it wasn’t something that unfolded. It Feels like a full circle moment really.

DK: Targets with the club/as a team and personally? 

RM: I think with the plan and the ambitions that I have been told and that I can see for myself of course it would be to go straight back up and get promotion whether that’s through automatic or play offs. Personally, I think it’s fair to say as an attacker it will be goals and assists for me to help the team pursue the goals set out.

Quickfire Get To Know Q&A: 

Favourite Non-Sport Hobby: Socialising and dinner with friends

Favourite Holiday Destination: Dubai 

Favourite Streaming platform (IE Netflix): Netflix 

Dogs or Cats: Dogs

Favourite hot drink: Hot chocolate

Favourite cold drink: Fanta orange 

Favourite snack: Crunchie bar

Favourite dinner/takeaway: Takeaway has to be a Chinese and dinner out would be any Asian restaurant

Dine in or takeaway: Dine in 

Favourite post match food and drink: Chinese with a beer

Favourite sweets: Strawberry and Cream Squashie’s

Summer or winter: Summer

Preferred social media platform: Instagram

Most popular nickname given to you: Miles

Matchday Superstition/routine: Porridge before every game

Favourite training drill: Shooting Drill

Favourite brand/style of boots/gloves: Nike mercurials

What motivates you most: The closest people in my life

Favourite TV Show: Power

Favourite Film: Harry Potter

Favourite football team: Manchester United 

Best Ground Played At: Bet365 Stadium

Best Player Played With: Joe Taylor

Favourite pro player current/all time: Cristiano Ronaldo

Joe Neal | New Signing Interview | 16.05.25

Striker Joe Neal discusses returning to the club and outlines his aims with the Marketmen.

DK: First of all welcome to the club, first of all could you talk us through your career so far (including teams played for, any trophies/personal accolades)? 

JN: Thank you, it’s great to be back! My football career started way back as a 6/7 year old at Cambridge United. I was there until the age of 20/21, going through the age groups and earning a 2 year pro deal. During that time I had various loans to Royston, Biggleswade and of course Needham Market. Once my time at Cambridge was up, I went back to Biggleswade which then lead me onto getting a move to St Albans. After a season and a half there I moved into AFC Sudbury where I have spent the previous 2 seasons and now we are here! Unfortunately no trophies yet in my time in football, but hopefully we can change that this season!

 

DK: What would you say are the top 3 highlights of your career so far and why?

JN: Good question! Number 1 I’d have to say signing a professional deal at Cambridge. I think that one speaks for itself, it’s every little boys dream! Second one would be scoring the winning penalty is the play off semi finals for St Albans and getting to the final. Although it was a disappointing result in the end getting there was a great moment. Finally I think I’d have to say making my professional debut for Cambridge. It’s what I worked towards and to achieve it was a proud moment. 

DK: Having been at Needham before, you must be delighted to be back at the club? 

JN: Yeah I’m buzzing! Obviously it helps massively that I’ve been here before, it’s a great club with great ambitions and I can’t wait to get going. 

DK: What was the driving factor in your decision to come back to the club? 

JN: Being here before and knowing the club, Tom and some players that are here already was a huge plus! I know how good of a club it is and how good the fans are, they follow in their numbers and that support is massive for a player! Also the clubs ambition to want to go straight back up was a big factor as to me signing and I want to challenge myself to help the team achieve just that. 

DK: Having scored some big goals for us in your last spell at the club, you just be hungry to add plenty more this time around? 

JN: Yeah for sure! Last season was a bit of a disappointing one personally in terms of goals. I didn’t quite hit the numbers I know I can so this season I’m hoping to get the goals I know I can get!

DK: How did you find it playing against us the other season? 

JN: It was tough! You could see how good of a side Needham were that season so yeah it was definitely tough!

DK: Targets with the club/as a team and personally? 

JN: Personally I always set myself a target of 20+ goals a season so that’s the first! Obviously I just want to help the team as much as I can by scoring or creating goals and working hard! As a team, I’ve said it in a previous answer but the aim is to get straight back up!

Quickfire Get To Know Q&A: 

Favourite Non-Sport Hobby: Playing golf (not very well though)

Favourite Holiday Destination: From places I’ve been, definitely Greece

Favourite Streaming platform: Netflix

Dogs or Cats: Dogs 

Favourite hot drink: Caramel Latte 

Favourite cold drink: Lucozade or Water

Favourite snack: Protein bar or frozen grapes

Favourite dinner/takeaway: Steak / Chinese

Dine in or takeaway: Dine in

Favourite post match food and drink: Pizza or Burger with a cold Pepsi Max

Favourite sweets: Haribo Tangfastics

Summer or winter: Summer

Preferred social media platform: Twitter (X)

Most popular nickname given to you: Joey

Matchday Superstition/routine: Caramel Latte in the morning, then an omelette as a pre match meal 

Favourite training drill: Anything shooting based

Favourite brand/style of boots/gloves: Nike mercurials or Sketchers, been wearing them lately and they are very comfy!

What motivates you most: Making my family & partner proud & the chance to win trophies 

Favourite TV Show: Prison Break (if that counts) or The Office (US)

Favourite Film: The first Hangover 

Favourite football team: Norwich City🐤

Best Ground Played At: The Amex

Best Player Played With: Wes Hoolahan / Harry Darling 

Favourite pro player current/all time: Messi

James Bradbrook | New Signing Interview | 16

Returning Needham goalkeeper James Bradbrook discusses his career so far and rejoining the club. 

DK: Welcome back to the club, James, starting with your career so far - how would you summarise it? 

JB: I would summarise it by saying I've had a good career so far. Played a lot of games. I'd say I've gained a lot of experience, playing lots of games and I'm still relatively young for a goalkeeper. Obviously I started off at Needham. And then from Needham, I went to Stowmarket for a bit, for like 10 games. And then I went to Brightlingsea at Step 3 with Tom, who obviously is the current manager now, I really enjoyed my time at Brightlingsea with Tom, the manager. And I was there for about 18 months. And I've got some good memories there, we probably had the lowest budget in the league, and we managed to finish 11th at Step 3 - that was when I was like 20 or 21. So then I went from Brightlingsea back to Stowmarket. At Stowmarket, in my first season, we went 36 games unbeaten in the league. And we were going to get promoted, we just needed to win one more game to clinch the title and then obviously COVID happened. That was the null and void season. We did manage to get promoted to Step 4. And our first season at Step 4, we finished 4th. So we made the playoffs, but unfortunately lost to Brentwood in the semi-final. And then the following season, we finished 7th. After that went to Sudbury. And I've been at Sudbury for the last two years, survived relegation the last two years when it was looking not likely. I got Manager's Player this year, and last year I got Player's Player at Sudbury. I'm buzzing to be back at Needham. Needham's a club that I've always followed since I've left, always looked out for their results. And yeah, I'm just buzzing to be back.

DK: So when you saw Marco was leaving, was it on your mind maybe of coming back in? 

JB: Yeah, I suppose it was a little bit. I just feel like for both parties, Needham and for me, it just made sense, because one, Needham, need a keeper and two, I know Tom. Tom knows me. I literally know all the players in the squad. A few of them are like my best mates. And yeah, it's a bit of a no-brainer really.

DK: What are your top three career highlights? 

JB: I'll say one was with Needham in the FA Youth Cup. And we got to, I think, the first or second round where he played Stevenage away. Milzy I think Jake played that game. Yeah. So that was when I was like, what, 17? So that's over 10 years ago, which is mental to think 10 years ago. And another highlight I'd probably say is for Suffolk. Under-18s got to the final of the National Cup where we played at Portman Road. But unfortunately lost to Lancashire in the last minute of extra time, at the time I was playing for Needham and I got scouted for Suffolk, I think there was a few Needham boys in the team then - with Brendan Heath and Sam Fowler. I really enjoyed my time at Stowmarket.

Made friends for life there and obviously we went 36 games unbeaten. And then also the last two seasons at Sudbury, I know keeping them up isn't winning a trophy, but in the circumstances we were dead and buried, really, both seasons. Two seasons ago we were with four games to go, we were seven points adrift and we stayed up, and then last season we were in the bottom four literally from Christmas till the last five games and then we got out of it and then we were safe with one game to go. So I'd say them two years are a highlight. I would mention the Premier Cup final against Needham but I missed the pen, so that's not really a good highlight anyway. To be fair, that's the first pen I've ever missed. I'll still back myself though to take one, and to save a few, more importantly.

DK: We've spoken about it a bit, but you're obviously delighted to be back, how does that feel? 

DK: Yeah, obviously delighted to be back. I'm buzzing to be working under Tom again. Like I said, he was my manager at Brightlingsea before. We had a good time there, and yeah, just looking forward to playing football with my mates as well and hopefully get Needham promoted again. I think I've got 14 clean sheets this season. So anything over 14 clean sheets, I'm aiming for 15 and higher. And a nice good FA Cup run would be good, and try and win the league, you've got to aim high first and try and win the league. It's going to be a tough league. There are some big clubs in the league this year. It should be a good season. Munno was my first ever goalie coach. When I was 16, he taught me the basics of goalkeeping, which has gone a long way, I enjoyed his coaching when I was first at Needham. 

DK: What about righting the wrongs of the Premier Cup final? 

JB: Yeah, I'd love to win the Premier Cup. I've got a medal from when I was at Needham. So I played in the last 16, I think I played in the quarter-final. But then in the semi-final and final, Danny Gay played and I was on the bench. So yeah, win the Premier Cup. You want to win any competition, really.

DK: So what do you say is the driving factor in your decision to come back? 

JB: I'd say, one, like I said, you've got Ben Hunter there, Kyle Hammond, Luke Ingram, Keiran Morphew. They're literally my mates, so that's a big factor, playing with my mates,  there'll be some changing room next season - obviously Tom as well, like I said I love working under him. And also Needham's good location-wise for me, literally 10 minutes up the road.

GET TO KNOW Q&A:

What's your favourite non-sporting hobby: Reading books.

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand.

Favourite streaming platform: I think it's got to be Netflix, really.

Dogs or cats: Dogs, definitely.

Favourite hot drink: Flat white. 

Favourite cold drink: Water or Beer.

Favourite snack: Scotch egg.

Favourite dinner or takeaway: Takeaway has got to be Chinese, dinner - Pie and match. 

Dine-In or takeout: Takeout.

Favourite sweets: Starburst. 

Post-match food and drink: Chinese and a beer. 

Preferred social media platform: Twitter/X. 

Most popular nickname: Bradders. 

Matchday superstition or routine: I put my right boot on and my right glove on first, every time and my shin pad. Yeah, I've got a few superstitions, to be honest. If I win a game, I just try and copy everything I've done the Friday before. Literally. I had fish and chips, on a Friday for two months because we kept winning on a Saturday. 

Favourite training drill: Shooting practice. 

Best Player Played With: There was Dean Bowditch at Stow, but has to be Ben Hunter. 

Best Ground Played At: Portman Road. 

Brad Smith | End of Season Q&A | 09.05.2025 |

Reserves/Under-18's defender Brad Smith reflects on the season. 

DK: What did you make of the season from a team perspective?

BS: It’s been a season full of positives from a team perspective the lads have come along way from the first day we came in for pre-season and it’s really shown the progression we’ve made from the last 6 or 7 results for the reserves. It’s a real positive going into next year because we can really push on as a team and challenge every team in the league.  

DK: How would you sum up the season from a personal view point?

BS: I feel it’s been a really positive season for me and I’ve learnt a lot about my own game and feel like I’ve developed massively throughout the year. I’ve really enjoyed this season working with a top group of lads and a group of coaches who put a lot of work in for us and push us to the max.

DK: Can you pick 4 highlights from the season (Res/U18s), what are they and why?

BS: Winning our first reserves game was a great feeling within the group because it showed we could put up a fight. Then the fa youth cup run was a great experience for all of the lads a few tough games and then going and experiencing a completely different environment where there was a lot of pressure on the lads away infront of a fair few fans. Then the last two reserves game were top beating two rivals and really showing how much we’d come on as a team. And then I think the obvious one is winning the u18 county cup for the first time in the clubs history it was a massive achievement for the lads and you don’t get many nights like that in football so it was special.

DK: How did it feel to be the first Needham side to lift the Suffolk U18 Midweek Cup and what did you think of the Final?

BS: It’s an unbelievable feeling and one that the whole group should be so proud of being a mix of 1st years and u16 players against a near enough full side of second years. It was a lively game, took us lads 15 minutes to wake up but after that I thought we took good control of the game and created a lot of opportunities but we couldn’t quite capitalise to finish the game off but to go on and win on penalties is the best feeling u can have in football.

DK: What was going through your mind during the game/shootout?

BS: For me it was just playing the game like it was any other and not thinking of the occasion because if u focus on where u are and what’s at stake that’s when the nerves start to kick in but I thought the lads handled the situation very well and all had a great mentality going into the game.

DK: Did they score/take a pen - if so No.5 but also how did it feel to do so?

BS: Scoring a penalty in that kind of game and moment in the shootout is just such a relief and when u see the keepers dived the other way you know u can relax and the pressure goes back onto them. So it’s an unbelievable feeling.

DK: Did any games standout to you from this season?

BS: I’d struggle to pick out a standout game from the whole season but there’s been a lot of occasions where we’ve come back from behind and won games but I think just because of the occasion it was in I’d have to say the final because it showed real character from the lads to not drop in the moment when we went 2-0 down and come back from that to go on and win the game so that was a standout for me. 

DK: What targets do you have for next season?

BS: My targets for next year stay the same really go and win the county cup with the 18s again, go on another fa youth cup run, and carry on the form we’ve been in for the reserves and see how high we can finish in the table. Because I think the lads can really kick on now and could have a really good year together next year.