National League South: 8 Players to Improve your Club.
Scouting and Analysis
This season's National League South has been the hottestly contested league in the country, possibly even Europe. Honestly, I don’t have time to go through all of them and check; you just have to take my ‘expert’ opinion on it. Either way, it was great to follow, and it also made a pleasant change from most top leagues being essentially done by March. 6 teams entered the final day with a chance to win the title and instant promotion. That’s unheard of as far as I can remember; it made for a blockbuster final month, and an even more spectacular final weekend.
Truro and Torquay went into it, best placed for victory. However, most National League sides were presumably praying for another winner and saving themselves the big Tuesday night away trip down to Cornwall or South Devon. Truro went on to claim the title with an emphatic 5-2 victory over St Albans, winning it on goal difference. I was very happy, having gone to uni in Cornwall and knowing Truro had finally moved into their new stadium, it was nice for the county to have some footballing success.
But you’re not here for a season review, you’re here for players. Once again, I’ve highlighted 8 players that have had excellent seasons (or parts of seasons) and could/should be on the move this summer.
1. Ben Brookes - Maidstone United
Position: LB
Age: 24
Maidstone United claimed the final play-off spot and due to some patchy late form, was the only club in the top 7 that didn’t have a chance at the title going into the final weekend. The side built their positive season on the best defence in the league, shipping only 38 goals in 46 games, at an impressive 0.82 goals conceded per game. Their 70 goals scored isn’t to be sniffed at either, and despite losing out in the play-off final, you’d be hard pressed to argue that it hasn’t been an impressive season.
The star of the show has been Ben Brookes at LB. The defender has been the side’s key contributor at both ends of the pitch. His 9 goals in all competitions are a bit deceiving as they have all come from the penalty spot, although a reliable option from the spot is something a lot of sides don’t have. His 11 assists are what I find the most impressive. Maidstone’s systems see him spend time between being a conventional LB and a flying LWB, allowing him to showcase his range of offensive and defensive talents. A positive, mobile defender, Brookes reads the game well and often looks to jump out of position to intercept opposition passes. His biggest attribute is his technique and ability to strike the ball with a range of power and spin. This is evident in him being his side’s primary set-piece taker. The majority of his assists have come from excellent deliveries into the box. That’s not to say his passing from open play isn’t also to a high standard. Positioning himself high and wide up the pitch, he is an expert in delivering positive passes from deeper positions.
Brookes started out with Basildon United, before moving to Step 3 side Hashtag and then on to fellow National League South side Chelmsford. The Essex-based side will probably be kicking themselves after the season he has had, letting him leave to Maidstone for free looks like a very poor bit of business. This summer, it will be the Stones bracing themselves for bids for his signature. It will be no surprise if fellow National League South big hitters and National League newbies make enquiries.
2. Abdul Abdulmalik - Boreham Wood
Position: CAM/LW
Age: 22
The North London Side secured a place in the National League by claiming victory in the Play-Off final over Maidstone, capping an excellent campaign for the side. They boasted the league’s best goal difference of +38, smashing an impressive 86 goals, bested only by fellow playoff opposition Dorking. 5 wins from their final 5 games saw them carry the most impressive form into the Playoffs, then a further 3 in the playoffs.
Central to that excellent finish was the form of the creative Abdul Abdulmalik, who moved between advanced central and wide roles in the Woods setup. In and out of the side for the majority of the season, his season had been stop-start, with only flashes of the talent he possesses. The ex-Millwall youth player hit a rich vein of form from the 1st of March. Cementing his place in the side and contributing an important 3 goals and 4 assists in the run-in, including the assist for the Playoff final goal.
I’m always hesitant to compare players at the lower levels of the pyramid to players in the Premier League, but sometimes it is the easiest way of explaining the play style of someone. In Abdulmalik’s case, I see resemblances to Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. A creative player who commits defenders with intelligent movement, an elusive dribbling style and (although only evident over this short period) end product when creating chances. When I reviewed his footage late on in the season, I was particularly struck with his ability to collect the ball from deep, show good control and agility to turn defenders and carry to the ball quickly and directly up the pitch, often relieving pressure on his side’s defence. He is also happy to make easy passes, over the last few months he’s shown good decision making on when to off load the ball to better-placed teammates. That might sound like an unspectacular quality but a lot of creative wide players at this level can beat their man but a lot have zero end product and football intelligence.
As mentioned, the youngster is a former Millwall U21 and a former England U17. He also had a fairly poor loan spell with fellow North London side Wealdstone. So this successful season with Boreham Wood and the final few months of good form have been the highlights of his relatively short career. At 22, he is young but not new to the sport, it is time for him to truly nail down his role in the side. If he can make the jump to the National League, and continue to show his evident technical skills with increasing regularity, then I see no reason why scouts from the upper National League or League 2 sides won’t be paying him close attention. Next season is a big one, he needs to hit the ground running.
3. Jonny Stuttle - Farnborough (On loan from Bournemouth U21)
Position: ST
Age: 19
Farnborough have an average age of 24.2, the 4th lowest of the division. They have flexed their muscles and used their connections to bring in several young players from Premier League and Championship clubs. Alfie Tuck from QPR U21, Jack Bateson from Luton U21, Daniel O’Connor from Ipswich U21 and the most impressive Jonny Stuttle from Bournemouth U21. All have had various levels of success and game time, but Stuttle has been the stand out.
Joining in January on a loan till the end of the season, the youngster made 19 league appearances, scoring 10 and assisting 2. What makes this more impressive is that since joining, he has contributed to over a third of all of Farnborough’s goals and played 100% of all league minutes available. Excellent experience for the youngster and clear indicators that he has the durability needed to compete regularly in senior football. Prior to this successful loan spell, he had a month-long loan with National League side Aldershot in which he scored twice, although he only managed 1 start, and lacked the time to embed himself in the side.
Stuttle operates as an out-and-out number 9. This is quite refreshing, as most young forwards prefer to operate as wide forwards or like to play in deeper positions where they can get more involved in build-up play. He played as a lone striker and part of a pair during his Farnborough spell, showing his abilities as both a focal point for others and a clinical finisher who comes alive in the penalty area. Despite a slightly lumbering and hunched running style, Stuttle mixes clever movement, a large stride and a powerful physique. The result is a number 9 that can get to half chances early and be an intimidating presence to opposition defenders. After reviewing all his goals this season, what is clear, is his ability to read play and anticipate chances, which is uncommon in most youngsters. Several of his goals involve him getting across opposition defenders from low crosses or dispatching crisp first-time finishes from penalty box scraps.
Stuttle has already returned to Bournemouth’s youth ranks, but after such a promising spell, another loan will surely be on the cards. National league sides will have taken notice, he could be a useful wild card to lead their line next season. Bournemouth might want to test him further, so a back-up option with a League 2 side could also be an option.
4. Sam Dreyer - Torquay
Position: CB
Age: 21
A part of England optimistically named the ‘English Riviera’ saw its top-ranked team finish second this season. Torquay was in contention for the title right up until the final day, losing out only on goal difference and failing to win the play-offs. A tough result to take, seeing as they beat eventual champions Truro a matter of weeks before. Overall though, this season has been a colossal success. A year ago, the side was formally put into administration, they posted their lowest position in the 6th tier of the pyramid since 1927 and had a points deduction for fielding a ineligible player. Fast forward to the present moment and the side is officially out of administration and has had a more than impressive league campaign under the hand of former Truro City boss Paul Wotton (and football advisor Neil Warnock). Plenty to sing and dance about, but I'm here to highlight players, and Torquay’s young CB Sam Dreyer is such a player.
Dreyer has operated as the centre of a back 3 this season and the left CB (despite being right-footed) in a conventional back 4. He has also shown good leadership qualities; the youngster has occasionally captained the Gulls this season. His main talent is a high level of positioning, when this is combined with a powerful aerial presence and you have an excellent no-nonsense defender. His pass completion percentage sits at a fair average sounding 77.4%, but when you delve a bit deeper, his long ball accuracy stands at an impressive 49%. He finds his target with every other ball, excelling at picking out his target forward players with nicely clipped balls from deep.
Dreyer started his career at Stevenage, had various loan spells lower down the pyramid and spent Peterborough before this excellent season with Torquay. His father also had spells with the Devon side before a successful career in the upper echelons of the English game. So he’ll no doubt be looking to emulate him. With Torquay missing out on promotion, I feel like a League 2 club should take a chance on him joining as a backup player who can learn, or a National League side should look to get him as an important first-team option.
5. John Gilbert - Slough Town
Position: CM/CAM
Age: 24
Slough Town fans have watched a fairly mundane season, finishing 16th in the table. It never really looked like they were in contention to go down, but they never really threatened any of the teams higher up the table. What they did see was goals, unfortunately, they were at both ends of the pitch. Slough were joint 7th for goals scored with a total of 70, an impressive total, far better than their league positioning would suggest. The problem was that they conceded one at the other end with every goal they scored. The 75 goals conceded curtailed any ambition of threatening the play-offs; the opposition found it all too easy to bypass their flimsy defence.
Slough spread the goals around. Spasov (see below) was the main man, but several other players chipped in. John Gilbert was one of these players. Signed on a free from Step 3 Walton and Hersham at the start of the season. The midfielder made the jump up a division with relative ease, posting impressive figures of 7 goals and 15 assists in all comps and totalling a 31% involvement in all of his side’s goals. On a slightly sour note, discipline has been a problem, he has picked up 10 yellows, a red for two yellows, as well as a straight red that led to a 4-game ban. If any clubs look to move for him next season, then he’ll need to curb this competitive edge that’s got him into trouble.
The ‘Rebels’ have mainly lined up in a fairly fluid 4-2-3-1 formation, and Gilbert has operated in any of the 3 advanced midfield roles. His favoured and most productive role is that of a roaming CAM/CM behind the striker. A technical midfielder, he enjoys finding pockets of space in the gaps between the opposition midfield and defence. Using his technical skills, he mixes good ball control and passing abilities with clever vision to slide clever, well-weighted balls between the lines into Slough’s target forwards. Unlike most ball-playing midfielders, Gilbert isn’t averse to attempting to dribble out of tight areas, bringing a slight unpredictability to his play. By far his biggest asset though, is set-piece delivery. Slough has massively benefited from his excellent dead-ball crosses and corners this year. The likes of Spasov, Evans and Bayliss have all become major weapons and have relished getting on the end of his deliveries into the box. All of this means he has become one of the leagues major creative forces this season. His hat-trick of assists against Worthing & Tonbridge earlier on in the season being the real highlight.
Slough will obviously hope to keep hold of their major assets this summer, to challenge higher up the table next season. No doubt Gilbert’s performances won’t have gone unnoticed and I expect sides who have more concrete promotion hopes will be assessing his situation. If he can curb that aggression and produce assists at the same rate for another season, then I expect his stock to continue rising.
6. Slavi Spasov - Slough Town
Position: ST
Age: 23
Slough’s Bulgarian-born striker was their main man this season. He scored 15 goals and claimed 5 assists. The Striker moved to the UK at the age of 12 and quickly got picked up by Oxford United’s youth system. He went on to make his senior debut in a EFL Trophy match against Fulham’s U21, coming on as a substitute and scoring a penalty. This made him the side’s youngest ever scorer at the age of 16 years and 226 days. He also made his league debut 3 months later in a game against Bristol Rovers. Several loans followed at Step 2 & 3 clubs before he signed for Slough in the winter of 2023 after impressing for Southern League side Hungerford Town.
Much like Farnborough’s Stuttle, Spasov is an out-and-out number 9; he has led the line all season and acted as Slough’s primary attacking threat. He focuses his play in the width of the penalty box, occupying opposition defenders with target man attributes and pushing them back with clever little runs between CB and FB. Physically, he stands at 6’1, has a powerful, broad frame, and has good strength when battling with the larger defenders the National League South has to offer. Despite lacking any explosive pace, he does have good positioning and is able to lose balls by showing good anticipation. You’d swear you was watching the same goal over and over when you view his highlight reel. He often appears to have space and time in the box and can often be found popping up at the front or back post to tap in or head home crosses.
His aerial ability is a great threat; he and Gilbert (see above) have very complementary skill sets and he is the main target for any crosses or set-pieces. A real highlight for the pair was their Scholes-Beckham-esque goal against Truro. Gilbert fires in a driven corner kick at hip height, Spasov sprints from the edge of the area and rifles a powerful volley past the keeper.
15 goals isn’t a ground-breaking total, you’d like him to score more if you were scouting for a National League club but I believe his skill set would set him up as an interesting option for clubs aiming for promotion from the National League South. Another productive season would certainly get people interested and at 23, he still has plenty of time to develop. Spasov is also very self-aware and switched on. He is great in post-match interviews, often preferring to critique his own game and review chances he missed rather than taking plaudits for the goals he scored.
7. Rhys Lovett - Welling United
Position - GK
Age - 28
Welling had a torrid campaign, which eventually saw them relegated. So I know what you’re thinking, a keeper for a relegated side? A side that conceded 91 goals, the most in the league? A -44 goal difference, surely not? Hear me out though, despite the figures and disastrous end to the season. The shot stopped swept the board at the end of season awards, winning managers, players and fans players of the season. No clearer indication is needed that everyone connected with the club acknowledges that the man between the sticks kept them in contention to stay up way beyond what they had any right to. What’s even more surprising is that Lovett also made it into the halfway point team of the season, despite the side already languishing just above the drop zone.
I saw Welling several times this season, Lovett was always the standout performer. At 6’2 he is a good mixture of size and mobility, and despite not being a towering aerial presence, he still looks to dominate the box when claiming setpieces/crosses. His key strengths lie in his shot-stopping and bravery; he has been inundated with shots on his goal, and his reaction speeds and instinctive saves have been some of the best in the league this season. What I especially like is his ability to anticipate well, often throwing himself across the goal to preempt strikes from close range. Data is hard to come by at this level, but I’d hazard a guess he would have the most saves of any keeper in the league. (He has quite the save highlight reel on his LinkedIn.) He is also happy to get stuck in at the feet of attackers, looking to smother shots early or beat opposition to the ball. He picked up a nasty injury this season that required him to wear a scrum hat for the rest of the campaign. However, the performances I saw post this showed he had lost none of that bravery.
Lovett has led a nomadic career so far. Starting at Cheltenham Town before moving between 9 other clubs on his way to Welling. From what the stats tell me, this has been his first full season as a number 1. At 28, he should be hitting his prime, plus with him being a keeper, you can expect him to go on for another decade or so. Now that he has shown his talents as a number 1, I expected to announce to you all that he should be looking for a new club and to (at least) stay in the division. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as it proves I’m right), I’ve already been beaten to the punch. National League Side Boston United announced his signing on a full-time contract 5 days ago. A great move for Lovett to test himself again at a higher level, and proof that results might not always be the full story when trying to highlight defending or goalkeeping talent.
8 - Jaze Kabia
Position: ST
Age: 24
Truro’s title win saw them become the first team from Cornwall to make it to the National League. Their first season in their new stadium saw them mount an unlikely title charge from the off, pulling in huge crowds, the side had the 3rd highest average attendances in the league. 3,000 fan sell-outs have packed into the new Truro Sports Hub Stadium at times this season to watch possibly Cornwall’s greatest ever sporting achievement. What makes this story even better is that Truro has been homeless since COVID times. After a few planning delays, work began on Treyew Road in October 2020, leaving the club homeless - they groundshared with the likes of Torquay, Plymouth Parkway and even briefly with Gloucester City (a 390-mile round trip).
Truro’s Irish CF Jaze Kabia enjoyed an excellent campaign. The 24-year-old has spent his career with clubs in Irish top-flight, Scottish Championship sides and Scottish League 1/2 sides. Having never found a consistent starting spot at any of them, the pacy forward decided to take a chance and head south of the border in search of regular first-team opportunities. He kept heading south until he hit the last remaining club in Truro, quite a move, it is an 8-hour drive after all.
The change has paid off, Kabia has taken to the Cornish life and sea air. This season saw him make 25 G/A contributions, by far his best season to date. 16 goals and 9 assists make him the side’s second top scorer and best creator. He also isn’t the side’s main striker, acting more as a second striker or a wide forward when the formation dictates. An excellent first half of the season saw him hit 10 goals and 3 assists in 15 games. Yes, he did have a midseason dry spell, going 10-plus games without finding the net, and a patchy run in but these spells were often interjected with moments of real quality, his assist in the important 2-1 win at St Albans or his crucial hat-trick against Hornchurch in the final weeks.
Kabia is a pacy forward who excels at attacking on the counter, he has raced behind opposition defences numerous times across the year. He also has good finishing ability when he finds himself in these positions, often favouring low-accurate strikes beyond the keeper. Far from just a pace merchant, the forward has also shown a good level of improvisation when finishing harder chances when the ball has been loose in the penalty box. His flying volley in the 2-1 win at Welling springs to mind, as well as his excellent 20-yard lob to secure his hat-trick in the Hornchurch win. He also showcased his ability to use his weaker foot in the same game, smashing a drive from distance with his left. As I mentioned, he has contributed several assists this season, he is far from just a ‘finisher’. His ability to cover ground means he can pop up in space across the front line, and despite not being the smoothest of dribblers, he can still turn away from opposition defenders and ride challenges with his pace. Often opening up opportunities for him to put in accurate crosses.
His patchy spells didn’t hamper an otherwise great season. Truro still won the championship, but I can’t help but wonder if Kabia can find more consistency, then he would be capable of an even bigger attacking output. Next season will be the test, the step up will bring him closer to the levels he failed to get game time at in Scotland. Hopefully, he can carry his form and confidence into the new season. If he can then no doubt more established National League clubs might be casting an eye over him as a potential wildcard signing.
All pictures sourced from the club’s websites and socials. Links below
https://trurocity.co.uk/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj680d47n26o
https://farnboroughfc.co.uk/
https://www.afcb.co.uk/
https://www.borehamwoodfootballclub.co.uk/
https://www.sloughtownfc.net/
https://torquayunited.com/
https://wellingunited.com/
https://www.bostonunited.co.uk/