Brett Pitman: AFC Portchester striker's goals rolling back the years

Brett Pitman still scoring goals in non-league football

Goals have always been Brett Pitman's stock in trade, but the former Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town striker has taken his scoring exploits to another level this season.

Now aged 35, the Jersey-born forward has traded full-time football for the part-time ranks of AFC Portchester in the ninth-tier Wessex League Premier Division.

And he has already scored more league goals this season than Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford combined.

A tally of 45 goals in 35 games has helped take the club based to the west of Portsmouth to the top of their division.

"I'm a winner," he told BBC South Today. "Whether I play golf, football, I want to win, so nothing's changed no matter what surroundings you're in."

And those surroundings could not be more different for a man who helped Bournemouth win promotion to the Premier League as well as spells at clubs such as Bristol City, Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers and Portsmouth in the EFL as well as a short spell at their National League neighbours Eastleigh.

After scoring 194 goals in 611 league and cup appearances for English Football League sides, he decided to end his full-time career last summer.

He now balances a role coaching at Bournemouth's academy with part-time football - something which he is relishing.

"It's completely different to what I've been used to, but I've enjoyed," he said.

"I didn't really want to keep driving up and down motorways and staying in hotels and things like that, I was ready to be at home.

"I've got two kids so it's nice to be at home with them more often, and I wanted to start my coaching and Bournemouth have given me an opportunity to do that, so it just ticked all the boxes."

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Brett Pitman scored close to 200 goals in a 17-year career in the EFL

It is not just Pitman's boxes that have been ticked, but also those of Portchester, who have won 25 and lost just one of their 28 games this season to open up a nine-point gap at the top of the table with 10 games to go.

"He's a good character to have around the changing room," says Portchester manager Dave Carter.

"He has a moan on the pitch, I will say, but in the changing room he's good for the lads.

"We play a system that works for Brett, obviously with his age, and he's reaping the rewards with the goals, and so is the team and the club."

So what about those comparisons with Haaland and Rashford - who were aged five and seven respectively when Pitman made his Bournemouth debut in September 2005?

"It's slightly embarrassing if I'm honest," he says.

"I know if Haaland came and played in the Wessex League I'm pretty sure he'd be on triple figures and beyond by now, so I take it with a pinch of salt - as long as they contribute to wins that's the main thing."

And as long as the goals keep flowing Pitman might be able to add a Wessex league winners medal to his Championship, League One and League Two titles with the Cherries and the EFL Trophy winners' medal he got with Pompey in 2019.

BBC Sport
BBC Sport

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