Squad continues to grow

With Leigh Genesis’ pre-season campaign less than a week away from beginning when Bolton Wanderers Reserves are the visitors to the Leigh Sports Village Stadium next Tuesday (21st July, 7:45pm), Leigh boss Garry Flitcroft has continued to build his squad with the re-signing of four of last season’s squad.

With Stephen Drench, Chris Dykes, Steve Flitcroft, Andy Heald, Paul Howarth, Kris King, Chris Page, Dean Porter, Jordan Stepien, Chris Thompson and Dale Whitham all having re-signed for the club already, they have been joined by Steve Settle, Jonathan Smith, Scott Sephton and Richmond Botchey.

Winger Settle, 27, joined Leigh from neighbours Atherton Laburnum Rovers in 2006 and, although he spent a short spell with Witton Albion last season, has gone on to establish himself as a cult figure amongst the Leigh support, having scored nine goals in eighty six appearances for the club in all competitions.

18 year old midfielder Sephton is a successful graduate of Leigh's youth system, having made a goalscoring debut in an FA Trophy defeat to Cammell Laird and going on to make a total of twenty two appearances last season in all competitions, nine of which came from the substitutes bench.

Botchey, who doesn't turn 18 until a week before the start of the season, is another player who began in the Genesis youth team before earning an extended run in the first team with a series of impressive performances in a total of fifteen appearances during 2008/09 after making his debut in the 2-2 at Whitby Town in November 2008.

Experienced centre back Smith, meanwhile, made only eight appearances for Genesis last season after joining in March, but the commanding 33 year old quickly established himself as the side's captain in what was, despite suffering relegation, an impressive end to the season.