Herne Bay boss Ben Smith is “deeply gutted” to see Bradley Stevenson playing at Isthmian Premier level - as he tonight prepares to come up against him.
Smith always felt the former Gillingham and Welling midfielder was destined to become a professional footballer, having been one of his PE teachers at The Canterbury Academy.
But Stevenson, now 24, who briefly played for Bay prior to the pandemic, will return to Winch’s Field with Billericay. Smith said: “He’s an unbelievable talent. “I said, when he was a 12-year-old, he would be a professional footballer and some of my fellow PE teachers laughed!
But I said if he grew - he was tiny at that point and he has some short people in his family - he would be a professional footballer. “I never doubted that for one minute so I’m actually deeply gutted he’s playing at this level.