CARDEN AIMS TO TURN TABLES

PAUL Carden has promised to learn from his mistakes at AFC Telford United as he plots a path to promotion with Nantwich Town.

- Chris Dunlavy

The former Cambrdge United and Peterborough United midfielder has endured a painful 18 months since leaving Warrington Town to join the Bucks in December 2021.

Despite averting relegation in his first season, he was sacked just 12 games into last year’s National League North campaign. Carden then joined Nantwich Town but was unable to stave off relegation to NPL East.

Just to rub salt into the wounds, Warrington won promotion to Step 2, leaving the 44-year-old to wonder what might have been.

“I’m actually further back than where I started,” concedes Carden, who spent five years in the NPL Premier with Warrington.

“But it’s like I always say to my players. No matter what level you play at, you’ve always got to prove you deserve to be higher. That’s what I need to do now.

“What happened with Telford was massively disappointing. I can’t deny that. I’d gone from five years at Warrington, where all we’d known was winning games with a settled squad.

“I was at the play-off final when they beat Bamber Bridge and to see them finally go up was unbelievable.