Harry Hopkins | 2025/26 Q+A #16 | 14.05.2026 |

Reserves and Under-18's midfielder Harry Hopkins looks back on the 2025/26 season. 

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (Res/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

HH: I thought personally for me it was a season where I showed what I can do and when I'm playing minutes theres nothing stopping me. Reserves was an up and down season with good performances just not the right results. The u18s not a lot that went wrong, winning the league unbeaten, the great run in the FA youth cup and getting to the county final. 

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

HH: Probably the county cup final because of how many goals there was in the game and scoring 2 yourself in a final is always nice. another game being norwich in a friendly vs the academy to just compare our levels to theirs. 

DK: How do you think this season ranks within your previous seasons at the club?

HH: Personally I think this season was a bit different for me having to be patient and learn a bit of a different side of football before taking my opportunity and making my mark within the season. 

DK: Similarly, how'd you summarise your time at the club?

HH: I have loved being at the club and the academy, all the coaches have helped me develop of these 2 years but also made me a better person on and off the pitch.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the Reserves? 

HH: It was a very frustrating season, as we know the squad was more than capable of a higher finish and better results.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall? 

HH: Super proud of the u18 season and what we have achieved collectively as a group.

DK: How special was it being part of that impressive FA Youth Cup run, the best the club's ever had? 

HH: Great for the club and the team. everyone involved should be proud of the achievement.

DK: Unfortunate to not quite retain the Suffolk Midweek Cup, but you must be otherwise proud of that run? 

HH: Yes was a great run up to the final, just wasn’t our night unfortunately and i think most of the lads would agree.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign though, how does that feel? 

HH: Feels fantastic and i think we deserved it with the consistency from all players such as u16s, first years and second years.

DK: A largely unchanged team over the previous seasons, how much has that consistency and togetherness played a part in the success?

HH: Definitely helped us a group to be on the same wavelength of how we want to play football and win games. Throughout our two years a key thing has been togetherness and being a team win, lose or draw.

Dan Thompson | 2025/26 Q+A #15 | 14.05.2026 |

Under-23's and Under-18's defender Dan Thompson reflects on the season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective - arguably a successful one?

DT: This season has been an eye opener to me with me being injured at the start of the season, so I’ve tried to get back into squads and with me getting some game time I feel like I’ve done what I can from scoring and getting assist so I don't know. It’s has been good but looking to improve this next year. 

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

DT: Overall there’s been many good games but I think the best one by far has to be the 4-3 win against Woodbridge in the under 23 semi-final as we were 0-3 at halftime I’ve come on and scored the opener and then we’ve just put relentless pressure on them and ultimately won 4-3. The second best game would probably be my step six day for the reserves even though we lost I feel like it was a really good eye-opener and made me gain some experience and in that game I scored the best goal I’ve ever scored in that game. Finally probably under 23’sto win against Woodbridge in the league where I’ve come on and scored the winner with another standout goal of my season.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the U23s? 

DT: 23’s season was really good as it’s the highest I’ve ever been and I think we’ve really proved ourselves as a young squad against players much older than us and it really started to feel like we were getting somewhere, just unlucky in the final 

DK: A few goals to your name this season, which must be nice as a defender?

DT: Yeah as a centre half the main priority really is just to defend but with me getting forwards more and sometimes even been playing in the role of CDM it allowed me to get more goals and I thought of the start this season and if I do say so they were spectacular goals not that I could replicate them again.

DK: How special was it to reach the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final, and how proud are you of the run in that competition?

DT: Yeah, reaching the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final was good we had a really good run beating some very good opponents and it was a really good experience. I mean the turnout was crazy and the atmosphere, and fans was top quality. We just got unlucky in the final not playing to the best of our ability really, but it was a great experience. Looking forward to winning it next year.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall? 

DT: Yeah good historic league run for the under 18s and with us switching up the squad quite often it really just shows the quality we’ve got a need for the under 18s so it will be good to do double next year hopefully and yeah it was a great experience overall.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign, how does that feel?

DT: Being undefeated in the under-18's league is a great achievement and to do it with the lads we did it with was great because we’ve all bonded so well and it really shows the quality that we’ve got to need them and how far we can go in every competition every league we play in.

DK: What targets do you have for next season?

DT: My targets for next year it’s really push myself and play as much football as possible whether that’s for the 18’s, 23s or reserves and I think not to get injured and play the whole season would be good a good start. Getting as far in the FA Youth Cup as possible would be great like the year we’ve just had. Try and get as many goals and assist as possible always helps 🤣🤣.

Zak Tamila | 2025/26 Q+A #14 | 14.05.2026 |

Under-23's and Under-18's forward Zak Tamila recaps the 2025/26 season. 

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective - arguably a successful one?

ZT: Yeah well to be honest, if you told me that we was going to be that successful in the FA Youth cup, county cup and the league I would have bitten your hand off, but it’s a massive achievement for me and the lads, the second years have been a proper inspiration for me and I have learnt a lot from them all, especially how I carry myself on and off. I surprised myself a lot this season too I made some goals to achieve by the end of the season and I’ve smashed those goals completely so I’ve made myself quite proud.

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

ZT: The three I would say that are the stand outs from all the rest are the win against Ipswich Wanderers in the league (last minute winner from an u16 Alex B), the semi final win with the u23s where I scored and assisted two massive goals and the last one would be the final with the u23, as a team we made history for the club in the u23s and it was so special.

DK: What’d you make of the season for the U23s? 

ZT: Let’s just say unexpected, we got a goal to finish top 8 by the end of the season and we finished well above that and we are proud to say the least. There was some really special moments during the season and it’s one that I won’t forget for sure.

DK: Plenty of goals for you this season, can you pick 3 that stand out? 

ZT: Yeah well like I said before I set me some goals before the season started and one of them was to score 10+ goals and in the end I scored 20 so I doubled it. But three goals that stood out was my semi final goal to send us through to the final, my first headed goal against Lakenheath at home and another goal against Debenham away to win a cup game.

DK: How special was it to reach the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final, and how proud are you of the run in that competition?

ZT: That will probably be one of those moments that I will remember for a long time, getting through some quite tough games beforehand to then end up in the final is a massive achievement for me and the boys. I’m super proud of all the boys, they definitely deserved it they work super hard week in week out. But we as a team could not have done it without the coaches, they played a massive part in us reaching that final but also doing that well in the league too.

DK: You must be proud to have scored in the Final, a very good strike it was too?

ZT: Yeah it was special and a super proud moment. Yeah it was a great strike on the volley and felt amazing to score in the final. It was a great team worked goal too.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall? 

ZT: I’m proud of all the boys involved, I was not really involved in the FA Youth Cup run but to the boys who were they deserved everything they got and should be super proud of it. But as an overall season from getting to the FA cup 1st round, to coming second in the county cup, to winning the league undefeated, it was one season to remember and feels amazing.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign, how does that feel? 

ZT: It feels so good, as a team we work so hard in training and to win the league undefeated is a massive achievement too, doing it was not easy at all.

DK: How does the season rank with your previous years at the club?

ZT: I have been at the club for 6 years already, but this season was something special and again the boys should be super proud of themselves, like I said they deserve everything they achieved. At the end of the day we made history for the club and we as a whole should be proud.

Henry Vieira | 2025/26 Q+A #13 | 14.05.2026 |

Reserves and Under-18's forward Henry Vieira reflects on the season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (Res/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

HV: From a personal perspective, I think it has been a decent season for myself. I’ve really enjoyed the football. To be part of the reserves team and the 18s team this year has been brilliant. 

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

HV: My three standout games this year would have to be Southend in the youth cup. Although we did lose this game, it was so good to be involved in it. It was the game in which we made history for the club so it did feel amazing to be playing in the game. Another stand out game would be the 3-1 win over Wivenhoe away. From a personal perspective, I think this game was very successful. To score the second goal to put us ahead was a brilliant feeling. The last standout game would have to be Stanway Pegasus at home. Winning 5-2 against a play off chasing side was a brilliant result. The game had been 2-2 until the last 20 minutes, so for the team to score 3 goals at the end of the match was amazing.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the Reserves? 

HV: Last season for the reserves, definitely wasn’t as successful as hoped for, however there are definitely lots of positives to take from it. There were definitely games in which we were the better side but just couldn’t get the 3 points over the line. We did however have some great games beating teams at the higher end of the table.

DK: What did you make of your first season of step 6 football?

HV: Going into my first season in step 6, I really did not know what to expect. It was definitely the biggest challenge I have faced so far, especially against the stronger teams in the league. I think I underestimated the physicality side of the league which I now know is a huge factor, so that was hard to get used to at first. It is a very competitive league, but I think that did make me really enjoy playing football.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall? 

HV: It has definitely been a successful year for the 18s team. Managing to win the league unbeaten was a great achievement for us. It was definitely a huge challenge, some weeks we definitely did not play our best football but as long as we got the 3 points was all that mattered. I think the standout was the run in the FA youth cup. It was amazing to make history for the club and I know the boys were really proud of that. it was amazing to see so many people turn up to the games which I think really helped us. It was definitely a shame to not win the county cup this year but it gives us a target for next season.

DK: What are your targets for next season?

HV: My targets for next year are to win the league again. To definitely win the county cup, I think this is a huge target for everyone as we know how much it hurt to lose in the final and to reach the first round proper of the fa youth cup again. 

Charlie Skinner | 2025/26 Q+A #12 | 13.05.2026 |

Charlie Skinner | 2025/26 Q+A #12 | 13.05.2026 |

Reserves and Under-18's Goalkeeper Charlie Skinner recaps the 2025/26 season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (Res/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

CS: I feel like I had a decent season from a personal perspective this year. Yes I would say a successful year for the 18s winning the league and also a good competitive year for reserves. 

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

CS: U18s first round FA Youth Cup, this is a big stand out game due to it being a great achievement for us. U18s semi final of county cup, this one because of making it to a county cup final twice in a row. Reserves Wroxham reserves away this was a stand out game due to us being there first loss all season.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the Ressies?

CS: It was a tough season overall and I think we were definitely disappointed with how it went this year. 

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall?

CS: Yes a very good year for the 18s being undefeated in the league and having great cup runs so very proud of the lads.

DK: How special was it being part of that impressive FA Youth Cup run, the best the club's ever had?

CS: Yes very special to be apart of the FA Youth Cup run and to do it with these lads as well was amazing achievement for us all but was a big shame to of missed the second round proper due to injury. 

DK: Where do you think this season ranks within your previous seasons at the club?

CS: Right at the very top definitely one of the best seasons I’ve played both personally and with the team but that credit to the lads I played with. 

DK: Similarly, how'd you summarise your time at the club?

CS: It’s been amazing loved every second of it I feel I have improved so much since joining but that comes down to the incredible coaches I’ve had throughout the 2 years and also met great lads along the way.

DK: Unfortunate to not quite retain the Suffolk Midweek Cup, but you must be otherwise proud of that run?

CS: Yes it was a good run and proud to of got back two back finals in this competition but was very disappointing to of not retained it.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign, how does that feel?

CS: Yes feels very good to of gone through the season with no losses in the league and am so proud of the lads.

DK: Can you recall a few saves that you made this season that stand out?

CS: I would say Wroxham away I made a few big saves to keep a clean sheet and win us the game but if I was to pick one it would be a top bins saves against FC Peterborough. 

DK: You've kept a good clean sheet ratio this season, many stand out to you?

CS: Yes I think all of the FA Youth cup ones stand out but if I had to pick one it would be Fakenham in the youth cup made a few big saves.

DK: A largely unchanged team over the previous seasons, how much has that consistency and togetherness played a part in the success?

CS: Yes the consistency has played a big part in the success from the last 2 years and what helps is how close we all are as a team and I think this shows on the pitch.

Harlyn Palmer | 2025/26 Q+A #11 | 12.05.2026 |

Reserves and Under-18's winger Harlyn Palmer looks back at the 2025/26 season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (Res/U18s)?

HP: Yeah even though my season was cut short in January I think I have a good half season and I’ve enjoyed it a lot.

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

HP: I would say for me the FA Youth Cup game against Billericay as we got into the first round proper for the first time in the clubs history the second game I’d say is the game we had against Bristol City academy even though they were a year younger we still dominated a top academy side and it was also a good experience, lastly I'd probably say the FA Youth Cup game vs Lowestoft we came into the game after beating them in the county cup the year before so we know they would’ve wanted to get one back on us but we ended up winning the game quite comfortably with a good performance.

DK: You scored some big goals this season, can you pick a few that stand out?

HP: Yeah I scored a couple in the FA Youth Cup but the one that stood out the most was the one against Billericay which earned us first round proper.

DK: How do you think this season ranks within your previous seasons at the club?

HP: Yeah I’m not sure to be fair because obviously last season we had the county cup final win which also made history for the club but then this season we got to the second round proper of the FA Youth Cup and also got to the county cup final which unfortunately I was still injured so I couldn’t play but still 2 very good seasons which are hard to choose from.

DK: Similarly, how'd you summarise your time at the club?

HP: Yeah I’ve found the past 4 years really good 2 EJA seasons and 2 academy seasons but I think I’ve improved a lot as a player and have also made some good memories and new mates.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the Reserves?

HP: Overall a bit of a disappointing season for the reserves because I think we played well in pretty much every game but just couldn’t get the results. I thought we started the season quite well but ended quite poorly.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall?

HP: Yeah a really good season again for the U18s reaching the second round proper and the final of the county cup again and I’m proud of the club for being able to reach that.

DK: How special was it being part of that impressive FA Youth Cup run, the best the club's ever had?

HP: It was really special obviously coming short losing 3-0 to a good Southend side in the second round proper but it also created good opportunities for me like going out on trial to Coventry and also for the rest of the team.

DK: Unfortunate to not quite retain the Suffolk Midweek Cup, but you must be otherwise proud of that run?

HP: Yeah it’s annoying not to retain the midweek cup but still a massive achievement reaching the final 2 years in a row.

DK: A largely unchanged team over the previous seasons, how much has that consistency and togetherness played a part in the success?

HP: It’s played a massive part we’ve all grown so much as players and people and I think that’s created good togetherness within the squad which probably links with why we’ve had so much success. 

Olly Bowman | 2025/26 Q+A #7 | 11.05.2026 |

Olly Bowman 11.05.2026

Under-18's and U23's player Olly Bowman discusses the season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (U23s/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

OB: Yeah I think it was definitely a successful season, top scorer for the 23s is a good feeling and of course winning the league at 18s and 2 separate cup finals tells you all you need to know!

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

OB: I’d definitely say Woodbridge 23s in the semis, although not my best game from being 3-0 down at half time to winning 4-3 to take us to the final was special. I’d also say Stow 23s at home, even though we were soundly beaten it was my first minutes back from my long injury and it just felt unreal to be back playing (was nice to score too!) And finally id say Felixstowe away last game of the season, although not our best performance it was our last game together and our last 18s game ever so it was a very special night to cap off 2 unbelievable years.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the U23s?

OB: All things considered a really good season for us 23s especially considering the place we were in last year compared to now, finishing 5th this year is good but I feel and think most of the other feel we could’ve done better but reaching the cup final is an excellent achievement for us and I’m so proud of the boys.

DK: I believe you finished top scorer for the U23s, which you must be proud of?

OB: Yeah I did end up finishing top scorer for the 23s which is of course something I’m very proud of, always good to score goals and contribute to the team in that regard.

DK: How special was it to reach the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final, and how proud are you of the run in that competition?

OB: Yeah it was very special, I believe it’s the first time the u23s had got there so that makes it that even more bit impressive for us and I’m so proud of the run even if it wasn’t meant to be in the final.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall?

OB: Yeah very happy all things considered, I think we’re all a bit tilted by the cup final result against Leiston but on the night they probably deserved it, winning the league is fantastic however and our historic FA youth cup run is even more impressive so yeah very happy.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign, how does that feel?

OB: Feels amazing to be honest, we all knew we were capable of something like that with the talent we had but there’s nothing harder in football than winning a league title over the course of a whole season and doing it unbeaten is almost unheard of so yeah extremely happy and proud.

DK: How did you find it playing different roles between the U23s and U18s?

OB: It’s two very different styles of football you know, at 18s everyone’s the same age similar builds so it’s more of a total football approach, you see more of the nicer side of football whereas with u23s it’s basically men’s football so you get the more ugly side but I enjoy both you know so it suited me. Of course I also played on the wing for the 23s whereas for 18s I was a fullback so that was different as well having to adapt and change my mindset was difficult but a good challenge and definitely made me more adaptable and all rounded.

DK: Can you recall a few goals that you scored this season that stand out?

OB: The one the comes to mind first is mine against Stow at home which I previously mentioned, I only played 15 mins that day on my first game back from injury and the ball was sprayed out to me, I touched it down, did a drag back to beat my man and then wrapped it far corner. Just an amazing feeling to score on my first game back after 3/4 months out.

DK: How does the season rank with your previous years at the club? 

OB: On a personal development note this has been my best year at the club, I’ve been here 3 years now and I can easily say I’ve developed as a player and as a person the most this year, however it’s really a toss up between this year and last for which has been my favourite season, I’ve absolutely loved my time at Needham so far and couldn’t ask for a much better group of lads to have gone through it all with!

Jake Bloom | 2025/26 Q+A #5 | 11.05.2026 |

Jake Bloom 11.05.2026

Under-23's and Under-18's goalkeeper Jake Bloom reflects on the 2025/26 season. 

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (U23s/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

JB: Both team had a very successful season definitely, so there’s always that to look at. But for me personally it was all about developing and getting used to the standard early on. After that, it was all about consistency, and how I could correct finer details to make myself even better.

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

JB: One game that always comes to my head is U18s V Sudbury in the County Cup. It was my first game back from injury with no training sessions, straight into the biggest game so far in the season. We dug deep and eventually won on penalties so that has to be up there as a one I won’t forget for a while. Next, I would have to say U23s County Cup Semi Finals against Woodbridge. When going in at half time only just conceding a quick 3 goals, we knew that we had a long way to get back in it. And then no one would have said we would complete the comeback to make it to the final winning 4-3. That was a special night not just for the team, but for the club, with the support and scenes after the game. And finally, one reserves game which is a memorable one, away to Wivenhoe. It was a bottom of the table 6 pointer against an aggressive team. We eventually won 3-1 after a very difficult second half defending our own half, but it was a successful day in the end.

DK: What'd you make of the season for the U23s?

JB: The U23s season was definitely and good one. After the poor season last year, we made sure improvements happened and things changed. We didn’t start the season great, but went on a great run at the start of the new year, going unbeaten in 9 games out of 10 games. We finished the league season just in 6th which is a big positive, but we had greater success in the cup. In the final, it wasn’t meant to be our day against a very strong Brantham side, but all the team done extremely well to get this far in the first place.

DK: How special was it to reach the Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final, and how proud are you of the run in that competition?

JB: We had a great run, defeating Debenham U23s, beating Sudbury U23s on penalties, then Haverhill Rovers Res in the quarter finals, before the unbelievable comeback v Woodbridge U23s, which summed up our season to never give up. Obviously, it was a tough final against a very strong Brantham side, but the boys should be proud if there were involved in the U23s this season. There are lots of difficult teams in the competition, some who we came up against, but we always did show great sprit to push ourselves further into the competition.

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall?

JB: An incredible season in all competitions to be honest. We pushed each other through challenging times, but eventually got results that we needed. Being involved in the FA Youth Cup run was definitely a great one, with the boys out there giving it there all. It just shows that not many teams get that far into the competition from a non-league level, so that just shows how historic that was. The County Cup unfortunately wasn’t meant to be back-to-back, but some great moments to look back on that during those games. And then to the league where we went undefeated in what was a challenging season, with lots of new players from the U16s being involved towards the back end of the season, it really does show the quality we have in the club. In those games, I felt like I had to be more of the leader with more experience than them to help them as we had everything on the line to make sure we were champions, and to do it undefeated by only drawing 2 games is incredible as a club.

DK: Two great U18 cup runs that you were in the squad for, can you describe what that experience meant to you?

JB: Like I've just said those cup runs were amazing. We came up against tough opposition but we always played our football to get the better of them. Wehen preparing for those games in training, we only focused on ourselves as we know how much strength and quality we have which always shows on the game days. It was a great experience for me, especially being involved and watching it all, and I can hopefully use that to help me in the future.

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign, how does that feel?

JB: The U18s league this year is a memorable one for sure. With the club having lots of games in a season, we needed the help of some of the U16s to step in during busy times of the season. With only drawing 2 games in a challenging season is impressive but also by winning the rest of the league games is something else. Moments like beating our rivals twice is always a good one I'd say. I think with the younger lads coming into the team, I feel like I had to play the more experienced role, to help them and guide them to making the transition easy for them, as they would of been feeling nerves for the occasion. Even in those games, performances might not of been the best, in which some games we had won, but went into the dressing room with negative mentalities as perhaps we were not happy with our own individual performance. That just shows the type of players we are I think and we all have the mentality to perform well consistently and get successful results at the same time.

DK: Can you recall a few saves that you made this season that stand out?

JB: I'm not really someone to remember saves that I make but more the overall performance that I had as that definitely gets remembered more by others. Of course I remember some like the Sudbury U18s game I made a close range save from a header at an important moment of the game which is definitely one for me to remember. In the same game, saving a penalty in the shootout is another good one. Another one more recent in the U18s V Hadleigh which was a long range volley steering towards my bottom corner. For sure I have made some for U23s, one V Woodbridge in the league got lots of mentions after the game which also makes you feel good. I have definitely got more but I enjoy having a good game but me playing well more, and my overall performance being memorable instead.

DK: What are your targets for next season?

JB: Aims for next season is to continue developing as a goalkeeper and my all round game. It doesn't matter what team I may be in next year, ensuring that I am consistent throughout the season is definitely a big one for me, in games and training, as there's moments one week I would do something in training or a game, and another week I won't do that successfully, but goalkeeping is all about fine details which I need to make sure I work on myself to get better at those. But I am always ready for whatever and am always pushing myself to become better like lots of players in the club. 

Oscar Wakeling | 2025/26 Q+A #4 | 10.05.2026 |

Academy winger Oscar Wakeling reflects on the 2025/26 season.

DK: How did you find the season from a personal perspective (Res/U23/U18s) - arguably a successful one?

OW: I think personally for me the season has only gone uphill. I started off playing in the Under 23’s at the beginning of the season. Began scoring quite a lot, and doing really well, alongside that I also was playing lots of minutes in the Under 18’s side, this is where a lot of my confidence was built up, I then got my chance for the reserves against newly promoted KPR. I started the game strong, and within the first 15 minutes I had grabbed my first goal for the reserves, I then went on to double that, and then finishing the hat-trick off in the second half. On a personal note this season I have seen the most improvement within myself and I pledge to keep pushing. 

DK: Can you pick 3 standout games from this season, if so which ones and why?

OW: I think the first game for me would have to be the county cup final, reason being last year I know we won, however I missed out on playing and being part of the squad although being in prior rounds, when that happened it lit something inside of me to keep going and wanting more and more. The entire season I have been training hard and playing well. This year we made it to the same stage and I started, it was a personal achievement for me although we didn’t win. Second game would have to be the FA Youth Cup First round proper - second time in history we as a club had ever been in that round, and to come on and score in it to help send us into the second round was incredible. The third and final game I would have to say is as I previously mentioned KPR during the reserves season, I was waiting on my opportunity to step up from u23’s to reserves and I finally got it, I started the game and scored a hat-trick, it doesn’t get much better than that. Now makes me the Second player out of the reserves squad to score a hat-trick. Evan Gledhill being the other.  

DK: How do you think this season ranks within your previous seasons at the club?

OW: This season doesn’t compare to other season It was a season of real highs, with a group of lads that i will miss playing with every week.  

DK: What'd you make of the season for the Reserves and U23s?

OW: The under 23’s season goes without saying is the best the club has had in a long time and I couldn't be prouder of the lads. Reaching a cup final is a great achievement and although I didn’t play I was down supporting the boys. As for the reserves, I can’t really comment on the first half of the season, however the second half I think was positive we knew every game mattered and we didn’t always get the result we wanted, but it didn’t stop us from working hard. 

DK: A very historic season for the U18s - how proud are you overall?

OW: The under 18’s is arguably the best team at this age group around this area, not many people do what we did this season and just to be a part of that was incredible, I'd like to thank Luke Betts massively for putting trust in me this year, something Ihadn’t been given by anyone else. 

DK: How special was it being part of that impressive FA Youth Cup run, the best the club's ever had?

OW: The Fa youth cup run was second to none. The nights under the lights, scoring goals and just sharing a pitch with some great lads, nothing beats it, to get to the second round proper having scored in the first round proper was crazy to say out loud for me. I had never played at such a high level.

DK: Unfortunate to not quite retain the Suffolk Midweek Cup, but you must be otherwise proud of that run?

OW: It’s a real shame we didn’t win the cup this year but to get to the final in the manner we did was great. And to play in every round including the final is the biggest success for me, and not only play in the final but to score as well. 

DK: An unbeaten U18 League Champion campaign though, how does that feel?

OW: Winning the league on my last season for the Under 18’s was something special. To do it with the boys was just amazing and makes it even harder to know that we are all separating now. It’s certainly one to remember.

DK: You scored plenty of goals this season, can you pick 3 that stand out for you?

OW: I think one of my favourites this year was my goal against Diss Town for the reserves. I picked up the ball and drove into space and hit a shot from outside the box going into the top left corner. Another one where not many people may remember I came on against FC Peterborough away, with 15 minutes to go, and Charlie Smy won a header on the edge of the opponents box and it fell to my feet I weaved between 3 players inside the box to get a shot off and scored, this one felt good in the moment. 

My last would have to be my first round proper goal, nothing beats scoring in the Fa Youth Cup to help send your team to a round the club has never reached before and make history, that was arguably the best. 

DK: Any goal that a teammate scored in a game you played in that stands out? 

OW: I think the best goal I’ve seen when I’ve played is Flynn Bobby against Dussindale at home, in a 2-1 win, he striked it from outside the box and I don’t think it could’ve got any further in the top right hand side corner.