Sutton United defender Simon Downer reached a milestone in the yellow and gold last weekend with his assistant manager’s high praise ringing in his ears.
The 33-year-old made his 200th appearance for the club in United’s 2-0 FA Cup win at Bishop’s Stortford.
Downer first joined United in 2008, making only seven appearances before joining Rushden & Diamonds for one season.
He returned to the Lane in 2010 and, despite a brief stint at Maidenhead United when work curtailed his commitment to United, Downer began to rack up the appearances, and Stephens is hoping there will be many more to come.
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He said: “Simon is one of the best players that I have seen in my time at Sutton United. I don’t say that glibly, he stands out.
“The problem we have with Simon is keeping him fit and managing his body at his age.
“But he is a top footballer at this level, and I hope we get many more games out of him. It’s a fantastic achievement.”
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