Brooks: 'We'll surprise a few this season'

You won’t find David Brooks sulking if his side lose a game or two – he’s had enough hard knocks in his football life to worry about the odd defeat.

The Southport Hesketh captain is regarded as one of the most talented players in the West Lancashire League and but for horrendous luck with injury, would undoubtedly have made a career in non-league football…or higher.

The midfield playmaker, who started out at Southport in the Conference, broke the same leg twice while on loan at Skelmersdale and later Burscough in his younger days.

The now 33-year-old is settled at the Bankfield Lane club after 10 years with Denis Hill’s side – and is getting philosophical about life come 5pm each Saturday.

“When I was 16 or 17 I hated losing, absolutely hated it,” he said.

“I took it out in the wrong way. But as you get older you know you’re not going to win every game.

"You can’t get too high or too low. If we’ve grafted and done everything we can and we haven’t won after the 90 minutes, then that’s life. I guess I’m just maturing!”

Brooks will lead the Churchtown side into battle against Hurst Green on Saturday with a target of a top-half finish – and warned rival clubs not to underestimate them.

“I definitely think we will surprise a few people this season,” he said.

“We’re a young side – I’ve been impressed with the two lads who played at full back on Tuesday in our final friendly, they’re only 16-years-old and looked really good.

"There’s a few of us older heads to add some experience and it’s pleasing we’ve got a good mix of local lads too.

“We’ve had some in the past who haven’t really been bothered about training or playing or the club and that has affected us before.

"It’s a good group of lads this season.”

So does he see himself as a mentor to the younger ones as well as their captain?

“Yes, definitely. I’ve made more of a conscious effort with a lot of them.

"We’ve got a striker, Dan Singleton, who has great ability and is developing into a real good player and I want to help him.

"I started as a striker and it’s not just about being fast or scoring goals, you’ve got to have so much more about your game.”

Southport Hesketh ended their pre-season preparations with a 4-0 win against Page Celtic, from the Liverpool County Premier League, on Tuesday night.

“After the first five minutes I thought they were really good,” admitted Brooks, a car salesman at Halliwell Jones.

“They kept the ball really well and we barely got a kick early on.

"But in the other games we’ve not been clinical enough and missed chances and given away poor goals.

"We scored out of nothing on Tuesday so it was nice to be on the opposite end of it. I just hope we can show those same qualities on Saturday.”

• Southport Hesketh take on Hurst Green in their opening fixture on Saturday at 3pm.

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