Dryden faces Wilding poser

9:30am Friday 15th August 2008

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WORCESTER City manager Richard Dryden has admitted keeping Craig Wilding has been a huge boost to the club.

Striker Wilding attracted interest from rival teams both at the end of last season and during the summer as the bulk of his team-mates left St George’s Lane.

However, the former Redditch man was not swayed by the extra travelling of Blue Square South and opted to commit himself to City.

Dryden rewarded him with the captain’s armband and was delighted to have stopped one of his prize assets from leaving.

Wilding is in contention to start his first game of the campaign tomorrow (3pm) following his three-match suspension when Hayes and Yeading United visit the Faithful City.

His return has left Dryden with a selection headache with hot-shot Marco Adag-gion and Mark Owen currently leading the line.

The City boss said: “He will be in the squad, which is good. Teams in our league will miss someone like Craig Wilding because he’s a big, strong lad and he links up play.

“Craig was a player I was desperate to keep and I am glad he decided to stay at St George’s Lane.

“It’s healthy to have competition for places.

“You don’t go and get 11 players for the season, you go and get 16 or 17 and hopefully more.

“I told the squad from day one that those players who start the season might be different from those who finish it. Somewhere down the line everybody will be involved.”

Dryden added: “I haven’t decided on tomorrow’s side yet but the ones who will be the first to know will be the players in the team and on the bench.”