BIGS HELPED US ALL GET BETTER

RYAN Beswick would be forgiven for thinking management is a piece of cake.

- Andy Mitchell

One year and 103 points after being appointed Quorn’s player-boss, the former Leicester City youngster has signed a two-year deal to lead his club’s first Step 3 adventure on the back of surging to the NPL Midlands championship.

Beswick’s role has been dovetailed with that of a cultured midfielder who honed his craft on loan at Redditch United from the Foxes before a career in the top two echelons of Non-League with Kettering Town, Solihull Moors, Nuneaton Borough and Tamworth.

A key part of Solihull’s 2016 National League North title-winning side, he notched their historic first goal in the top tier at Sutton United during halcyon days under his greatest gaffer and current Swindon Town assistant Marcus Bignot.

WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST GAFFER AND WHY?

Marcus Bignot. He revived Solihull, the club was on its knees when he came in.

There were all sorts of money issues, budgets constantly changing and I think the club was 24 hours from getting locked up at one point. He managed to galvanise the whole place and that club would not be where it is now without him.

He brought together a changing room of quite young lads when we arrived — me, Jas Singh who is at Tamworth now, Darryl Knights — and he didn’t just drag us through football wise, being there gave you life lessons.

He would make you all accountable. You’d know your jobs on and off the ball and at the ages of 22, 23 at the time, having only ever known football, we’d take that mentality into our day-to-day lives.

He was really good at everything — tactical and technical detail, his homework on other teams, he was a cut above the level.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP MEMORIES OF PLAYING UNDER MARCUS?