Matthew flies flag for the Potteries in Croatia

'Trentham's most eligilble bachelor' was among Reservists from the 4 Mercian Regiment taking part in a Nato training exercise overseas. He found time to talk to THOMAS COOPER

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'WHAT the hell are The Sentinel doing out here?' It's fair to say Lance Corporal Matthew Bowden wasn’t expecting a chat with the press when he flew out to Croatia alongside other Potteries Reservists on a training exercise.

The 45-year-old Port Vale fan - self-styled as 'Trentham's most eligible bachelor' - enlisted five years ago seeking a new challenge.

He was taking part in Nato’s Exercise Sava Star, an annual training drill which involves troops from the British armed forces and their Croatian counterparts.