Fareham Town losing two players to professional clubs can make us a more attractive proposition – Reds boss Pete Stiles
Fareham Town can take a huge amount of pride from the two players who have swapped Cams Alders for moves to professional clubs in recent weeks.
That's the verdict of manager Pete Stiles after squad members Jack Breed and Casey Bartlett-Scott secured full-time contracts abroad having featured for the Reds this term.
Gibraltar under-21 international Breed left Fareham Town for the Gibraltar Premier League, signing with Europa FC last month.
Meanwhile, Bartlett-Scott, 26, quit his job with Portsmouth City Council and is swapping the Wessex League Premier Division for USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the American second tier.
Stiles admitted it was disappointing to lose both players but insisted the club could not stand in the way of either player.
And the Reds boss, who will be without the pair for Saturday's FA Vase third round trip to Plymouth Parkway, wished both Breed and Bartlett-Scott well as they make the big jump into full-time football overseas.
He said: ‘Of course there is (club pride from players signing professional deals).
‘It’s a great advert for any younger lad coming through thinking that they can come to Fareham - we’re not going to stand in anyone’s way and then you move on.
'There’s a lot of pride and I hope they both do really well.
‘I just wish I had them on contract so we could have got a bit of money for them.
‘Fareham’s moving forward slowly but surely; obviously, more established clubs would have had them on contract and got a bit of money.'
It's not the first time in his managerial career Stiles has seen players working under him move into the pro game.
The Fareham boss handed Reading's Andy Rinomhota his first chance in senior football while boss of AFC Portchester Reserves.
Stiles also worked with James Cowan - now at Baffins Milton Rovers - during his Royals days before the then teenager first joined Oxford United under-18s.
Stiles believes Reds could now become an even more attractive proposition after seeing two of his current squad move into the pro ranks.
Stiles said: 'It can’t not help, can it?
‘If you had a reputation of never having a player come through you that’s never gone onto a pro club then it doesn’t help.'