LUKE BENBOW can’t wait to show what he can do in the National League with Solihull Moors – he’s even looking forward to the pre-season friendlies!
The 26-year-old has been one of Non-League‘s most prolific strikers over recent years. Last season he scored 42 times for Evo-Stik Premier side Stourbridge on the back of an injury-hit campaign where he still managed to bag 23 times despite six months on the sidelines.
Moors boss Liam McDonald made Benbow one of his first summer signings – having tried to lure him in the past – and the former Highgate United, Redditch United and Hednesford Town man thinks he’s got the right manager to push him on even further.
“The season before last I had a couple of niggles and injuries that set me back a bit, but last season I was back to my best and it showed with my amount of goals,” Benbow told The NLP.
“I’m grateful to Liam for giving me the opportunity. His track record isn’t bad at all. He’s got quite a few players into the Football League so you can’t knock him.
“Solihull actually came in for me with about ten weeks left of last season but I was having a good run with Stourbridge, scoring goals, and I didn’t want to take the move and it go wrong.
“I wanted to finish the job I’d started and hope Liam would come back in for me in the summer. I can’t knock Stourbridge – the management and fans are top notch.
“But I can’t wait to get started here. I can’t even wait for the pre-season friendlies! There are a few good games for me to get used to what I’m going to come up against.
“We had a great FA Cup run with Stourbridge last season and played Northampton and Wycombe. The lads did really well. After those games I knew that’s what I wanted to be doing every week and playing against full-time teams. You want that challenge.”
Benbow, who was part of the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain alongside the likes of Hull City midfielder Sam Clucas, has been putting in the hours over the summer.
He rides 15 miles on his road bike every morning before a gym session later in the day around his day job.
“I’ve grafted down in the lower leagues and now I’ve got my chance,” he said. “I’ve watched a few games in this league and I think I can do well.
“I know a lot of teams are full-time but that’s where I’ve got to put the extra hours in to give myself the best chance.”
