The Imps have announced this evening that Matt Rhead has joined National League South side Billericay Town. The 35-year-old has joined The Blues for an undisclosed fee.
Matt Rhead played an incredibly important part in the success the Football Club has achieved over the last few years and as much as it is a shame to see him go, Danny Cowley has said on the Official Site: “It’s a two-year deal for him so it’s ultimately a good deal for all parties.”
Danny Cowley also went on to say “He’s iconic, a cult hero. It’s a sad day for everyone associated with the football club to see him leave, Matt’s a person who’s impossible to replace as a player or as a person. He’s a throwback centre forward, and unless you see him in training and in games you don’t know how good he actually is. His tactical understanding and ability to lead from the front is something that we’ll miss.”
I’m not going to lie, I was quite interested to see just what Matt Rhead could produce in League One, but the deal makes sense for all parties, so I would like to, along with the members of Vital Lincoln City, wish him the best of luck in the future.
Reaction on 100% Imps:
imps_joe: “Gutted, absolutely gutted. Really thought he still had something left to offer.
I would have loved one last final chant of ‘Rheady’ to echo around the stands. He’s an icon, cult hero, legend and has been a massive part of the turn around in our fortune. I wish him all the best in the future, he genuinely deserves it.
What a man. One of my all-time favourite players.”
Snats: “Honestly, it makes sense. Sad that we won’t have the chance to say goodbye, but we can’t afford to be sentimental and Billericay are one of the few clubs who would pay a fee (and probably a decent fee) for him. I’d much rather see Adebayo-Smith as our Plan B rather than “get Rheady on and hoof it long.” That said, we do really need another striker now and I’m sure this sale wouldn’t have been sanctioned if there wasn’t a replacement lined up.
Thanks for the memories big man, and good luck.”
Luke Imp: “What a player for us. In 3 seasons – National League Champion, FA Trophy Semi-Final, FA Cup Quarter Final, L2 PO’s, Checkatrade Winner, L2 Winner and Top Scorer. Legendary status around these parts. Even when he was only coming on as a sub, getting him on the pitch if we were struggling just cranked the volume up at SB. Just one of those players whose presence lifts everyone.
Makes sense for all parties, mind. He’ll get more football having spent most of last season on the bench (and getting a decent wedge as well as you’d expect, which you can understand him taking having only turned pro at 27 – 8 years or so ago), we get a fee and free up wages and they get a player who’s playing two divisions below where he should be, even at 35. Underrated by many, and even those outside of the clubs he played who perhaps didn’t underrate him will never quite know what a good footballer he is.
But our transfer business so far pointed towards a further tweak of our style of play and on that basis, we’ve probably naturally come to the end of the road and we’ve had our use to one another, although I’d have 100% kept him if we were able to i.e. not having to free wages up to pursue other players.
Good luck and thank you, Rheady!”
"He's an icon, cult hero, legend and has been a massive part of the turn around in our fortune."https://t.co/tCXijhW3Wr#ImpsAsOne #ProudToBeImps #ThankYouRheady
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln) July 25, 2019
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/2316542328381999
