Workington Reds will come up against a well known non-league striker on Saturday currently cutting his managerial teeth at Skelmersdale United.
Richard Brodie, 35, had 21 different clubs in a career which started in 2004 at Whickham in his native North East where 24 goals in 35 games soon got him noticed.
He became a ‘have boots will travel’ forward whose best spell was at York City when he scored 53 goals in 135 games over three seasons.
A short three-match loan spell at Barrow was followed by stints with Crawley Town, Fleetwood, Morecambe and Grimsby before serving a clutch of clubs including Southport, Aldershot, Stockport and Hereford.
Dropping down the pyramid he first joined Skelmersdale in 2017 and returned in 2019, scoring nine times in 39 games before being released last November to take his first manager’s job with Ashton Athletic.
He kept them in the Premier Division of the North West Counties League last season but Athletic have started the current campaign poorly with only a point so far.
However three weeks ago when Skem manager Harry McNally took the vacant City of Liverpool job he got the call to go back to his old club.
He will be looking for his first win on Saturday after three defeats since taking over – 4-1 at home to Runcorn Linnets; on penalties at Widnes in the FA Trophy after a 1-1 draw and 2-0 at home to Runcorn Linnets on Saturday.
Skelmersdale currently lie 12th in the table, a point behind Reds, but have only played twice away from home and have won them both.
The big incentive for Danny Grainger on Saturday is that a win would definitely put his side third in the table – and a big win could take them to second.
Workington v Skelmersdale and Hanley Town v City of Liverpool are the only two League games on Saturday involving four teams who are out of the FA Trophy.
