JOSH Wardle reckons Radcliffe have signed a “horrible” old-school defender after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with the National North new boys.
The 27-year-old captained Marine to promotion through the NPL Premier play-offs last season, and has promised to bring the same battling qualities to the Neuven Stadium.
“If you’re asking me what I am then I’d probably say an old-school defender,” said the former Witton Albion, Lancaster City and Kendal Town centre-back.
“I can head a ball really far and I can kick a ball really far. I put my body on the line for any club I’m playing for and I set high standards.
“As people probably know, I’m pretty horrible on a footy pitch. I do what it takes to win and I demand a lot from the people in my team.”
Wardle joined Marine in 2022 and played over 50 times last season as Neil Young’s side finished third before stunning hot favourites Macclesfield in the play-off final.
A huge fan favourite, he admits it was a wrench to leave Rossett Park but says the lure of working with Radcliffe’s co-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley was too strong to resist.
“It was always going to have to be something big to take me away from Marine,” he added. “It was a great group of lads, some great people behind the scenes and I had some fantastic times.
“But coming here to play under Bernard and Jonno really excites me. They’re winners, and that matches me. I’m over the moon to get it done.
“Personally, I played over 50 games last year and I have done for the past four or five seasons. I want to get near that number again, and score maybe five or six goals. If we can keep 12 or so 13 clean sheets at the other end – even with the system the gaffers want to play – then we can be more than successful.
“As a team, we want to be pushing for the top half, for the play-offs. And with the players we’ve got and the ambition of the gaffers, we’ve got what we need to do that.”
Ace Fin Sinclair-Smith also left Marine this week but Young has moved quickly to fill the defensive void left by Wardle’s departure by signing James Butler from Warrington Rylands.
“I’m absolutely buzzing to sign for the club,” said Butler. “After playing against Marine last season, I know what a great club it is, with an unbelievable fan base so when I heard the club was interested it was a no brainer.”
