Kyle Rowley, 28, has enjoyed a remarkable start to life at Redditch United winning three of his five games since joining the Worcestershire-based outfit a month ago.
Rowley was pleased with his first game as he looks to build on the positive start he’s made: “I’m settling in quite quickly to be honest, going straight in against one of my former clubs (Barwell), quite close to my heart. The lads knew who I was, and knew what I was about before I signed having played against them a few times.”
The former Barwell & Mickleover Centre-Back has played in the last five games for the Reds including a brilliant performance over Telford where the Reds triumphed 3-1.
In his first game, he was placed in the starting 11 by former Premier League winner & manager of Redditch United, Tim Flowers.
He kept a clean sheet on his debut as the Reds went on to win by a slim 1-0 scoreline.
“It helps when you put in a good performance, get a clean sheet and you win the game. The lads have taken to me really well.”
After playing for step four side, Walsall Wood for the first part of the new season, the 28-year-old was persuaded by Tim Flowers to join the Red Army just three months into the campaign.
“I spoke to Tim at the start of the summer. I chose not to (join) for other reasons, but with the success they had last year, it was as soon as he said ‘I want you in’, I was like ‘Yeah listen, let’s get this done and over the line.’
“I knew the quality of players they had here anyway, and Tim said ‘We need a leader, we have a fairly young squad, with a few experienced boys in there, you’ve played the level for four or five years now, we want you to come in, head everything, kick everything and everything else that comes with that is a bonus.’ I feel like I’ve come in and done so.”
Redditch United achieved the play-offs too last year, although they ultimately came up short in an agonising 1-0 loss in extra time to local side Leamington.
“I don’t want to sign for a team that hasn’t got ambition. I could have easily gone somewhere down the road from Redditch where there wasn’t really a lot of ambition there. I wanted to go somewhere where we are going to play and challenge.
“I think that was why I ended up taking a step down to Walsall Wood at step four (one level below Redditch) which is a bit of a weird one as I played in the step three semi-final with Mickleover against Telford and then I went down a league.
“That was because it was a chance to win the league, and then I wanted to go somewhere with ambition.”
