Wayne Ward will be aiming to pass on some of his London Marathon spirit to the young Wivenhoe Town squad as they journey to Norfolk for their match at high-flying Wroxham.

Still a sprightly 44 years-old, Ward said: “I ran the London Marathon this year and have also completed a couple of half-marathons, so I’m fitter now than I have been in the past 20 years.

“I’m obviously a lot slower now, but I’m still around the same weight as I was when I played for Colchester United and I actually came on as a substitute for a little while a couple of weeks ago.”

Ward was quick to pay tribute to his group of young players who have stepped into the Broad Lane breach to make sure Wivenhoe still have a team following the departure of a large number of senior players and financial turmoil off the pitch.

He said: “The youngsters are quite buoyant and are a very level-headed bunch.

“They are all fully aware of the plight the club is in and if they can come through this season, which will be a big learning curve for them, they will all be so much stronger for it.

“Another win and maybe two or three draws somewhere might just be enough to keep us in the premier division.

“But division one football next season wouldn’t be the end of the world for them – or the club.”