Cambridge United bound Liam Bennett thankful to AFC Sudbury staff for helping get his professional career dreams back on track
Liam Bennett has thanked AFC Sudbury’s staff for all their help in providing a launchpad for him to spring back into a professional club.
It was two years ago in December the Great Cornard-based right-back was hit with the devastating news he was being released from Colchester United’s academy.
The former Wells Hall Primary School pupil had just turned 16 and been with The U’s since the age of nine.
His pint-sized stature was one of the big reasons they said he was not being offered a scholarship.
But fast forward 27 months and the 18-year-old has been recruited by another team known as The U’s.
At SkyBet League Two Cambridge United he has been told he will have to earn a first professional contract but has been guaranteed a year with St Neots Town, who are effectively operating as their feeder side now. The Saints play at an equivalent standard to AFC Sudbury in the BetVictor Southern Division One Central.
“Obviously I am delighted to get given the opportunity to get back into a professional environment as once I had got released from Colchester that was always my aim,” Bennett said.
“I am just looking forward to going there, whenever that may be, and proving myself by showing what I can really do and kicking on from there.”
After picking up his kit from Cambridge and meeting first-team manager Mark Bonner a week ago on Thursday, the measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic has forced him to train alone in the parks around Great Cornard. At the same time he has been completing his AFC Sudbury Academy education programme from home.
But wherever things now take him, he will always be grateful to the club who helped get his dream of a full-time career in the game back on track.
“I want to thank what Danny (Laws, academy director) and the rest of the staff for what they have done for me with pushing me through the teams into the first team,” he said.
“And Mark (Morsley, former first-team manager) for obviously giving me the chance.
“It has really helped me progress. I feel as though if I stayed at Colchester I would have been playing just 18s football and playing men’s football has been a lot more beneficial for me.”
Bennett revealed he had been on trial with Cambridge for two weeks in January, playing in an U23s behind-closed-doors game against Northampton Town as well as two U18s games.
He said: “I got a feel for the staff and players that were there and I just felt this is a place where I can go in and get an opportunity where I back myself to get into the first team as soon as possible.
“The staff there spoke really highly of me and had been monitoring my progress at Sudbury for a year.
“I just felt like it was a good opportunity.”
Bennett had struck a deal which would allow him to still play in AFC Sudbury's under-18s' programme which was set to include a national semi-final in the England Colleges National Knockout Trophy as well as county cup finals.
But after the FA yesterday called time on the grassroots leagues' season, it is now unclear whether the cup games will go ahead.
