‘Fire in his belly’ – Anderson extends Bognor Regis Town deal

The midfielder, 20, has impressed manager Robbie Blake since he arrived in the summer from Horndean.

He has recently cemented his place in the middle of the park after suffering a few injury setbacks and Blake says he has seen enough to merit securing his future at the MKM Arena.

Blake had monitored the progress Anderson made under the tutelage of Michael Birmingham at Five Heads Park and was convinced he was ready to make the step up after helping the Deans to promotion to the Isthmian League south east division last term.

And Blake said: "Ben has come in and shown that he is very well equipped to make an impact in games at this level. He has a wise head on his shoulders and always seems to choose the right pass and is strong in the tackle and has fire in his belly too.

"Those are the ingredients you need to play in midfield at this level and he has them in abundance and so we are delighted that we were able to agree a new deal. I think he can continue to develop and play a big part in what we are trying to do here and I know he feels that this contract is right for him and this stage of his career."

Blake, who has guided the Rocks to six wins on the spin in the Isthmian premier division and leads them into battle at home to Cheshunt on Saturday (Feb 10), says discussions are continuing with a crop of Bognor players he is keen to tie down to new deals.

He added: "If you're not moving forward you are standing still and this is especially pertinent when you're talking about identifying talent and ensuring that talent is available to you through a mutually beneficial contract and so we hope we can continue to do that going forward."

Lucas Pattenden recently signed a new 18-month contract after a blistering first half of the campaign. The winger, 24, signed for the Rocks last summer from Littlehampton Town and has been a huge hit for Blake’s men since his arrival.