MAT LIDDIARD will be returning to the Corinium Stadium next season but in an Evesham shirt rather than the red and black of Cirencester Town.

Lidds is the latest player to join Paul Collicutt’s much-tipped challengers for the Southern League Div One South & West title in the close season.

He leaves as Cirencester Town captain, recent winner of two Player of the Year awards and arguably the most talented and consistent name on the books after more than 150 games for the club.

He admits the decision to leave manager Charlie Griffin looking for a replacement was an agonising one.

“I have loved my time at Cirencester and loved everyone involved in the club,” said Liddiard. “I really enjoyed working under both my managers, Brian Hughes and Charlie Griffin.

“I love the environment there which is why it was so difficult.

“I told ‘Colly’ I needed two weeks to think about the Evesham offer and my missus will tell you I was doing her head in changing my mind all the time.

“I had thought if I ever left Ciren it would be to play at a higher level.

“Evesham, Frome and Chippenham all came in for me last season and I said no. This decision came down to a gut feeling.

“Griff made me a very good offer and what was on the table were two pretty similar, if differently structured offers.

“I know a lot of the Evesham players from my time at Hartpury College or playing with them in youth football. I’d spoken to some of them about coming to Cirencester but they wouldn’t budge.

“Evesham have been in the play-offs for the last two seasons and I thought they were just two or three players away from challenging for the title. They are attracting decent players now and having a real go next season.

“At Ciren, Griff may have to go through a massive rebuild. He wants people to train Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on the new artificial pitch, when it is finished.

“Will the travelling suit those players who come from a fair distance? If Ellis Dunton gets his visa to go back to Australia will he stay? These are key players for Ciren who would take some replacing.

“And as for the plastic pitch, I’m sure it makes sound financial sense for the club and they could turn it to their advantage like Merthyr did, but I am not a fan. It just does not feel like a proper match day playing on 3G.”

Liddiard will leave with the best wishes of everyone at the Corinium being a thoroughly popular member of the squad, who is still young enough (24) to realise an ambition to play full time at Conference level.

And he has been given assurances at Evesham that he will return to his favoured central midfield position where the energy to make box-to-box runs and his eye for a goal are two of his greatest strengths.

With both Hughes and Griffin having difficulty enticing experienced centre backs to Ciren last season Lidds found himself regularly used in the back four.

“Versatility may have been my worst enemy, but as long as I’m playing, I’m happy” he said. “I no longer feel as nervous about playing at centre half – make a mistake there and it is often a goal – but I enjoy playing in midfield more.”

Looking back on his highlights in a Cirencester shirt he nominated the title-winning season of 2013/14 but rather surprisingly said he enjoyed the following year, the first season back in the Southern Premier, rather more.

“We had a very strong squad with a lot of flair from the likes of Nat Jarvis and Ed Williams,” he said.

“No one gave us much of a chance but we were in second place for a time and I felt I could really express myself and I scored plenty of goals for that side.

“There was real competition for places which kept me on my toes and my game thrived because of it.

“Evesham will be a new chapter for me but I hope I haven’t burnt my bridges at Ciren and if things did not work out I could come back. It’s still where I have had my best times in football.”