A MAN'S love and talent for football has not taken him to the dizzy heights of Okehampton or Exeter but North Tawton where he has played with great enthusiasm for 25 years.
Past players of North Tawton Football Club were brought together on Sunday for a special reunion match to recognise Neil Dennis' loyalty to the club.
Midfielder Neil, 40, joined the club 'like all young lads' at the age of 15 and remains a star player.
Assistant club manager Andy Down said Neil was a naturally gifted football player who could have walked into any team in the area.
'He has always played a good standard of football and we just wanted to say thank you for his loyal service over the past 25 years,' he said.
'Neil has stuck with the team through good and bad times and there have been more bad times than good.'
Mr Down and club manager Ian Simons had been organising the event for a couple of months tracing players who had moved away or given up the game.
'It was hard work but it was all worth it on the day — Neil was gobsmacked when we told him but it was what he deserved,' said Mr Down.
'We sent out 200 invitations and there were only about 20 who could not come. It says it all about what people athink of him.'
Mr Down, who referred to his teammate as 'the Peter Pan of the team' said no-one had a bad word to say about him and he was rated as highly off the field as on: 'Neil is one of the good guys of this world.
'He is well known in North Tawton and enjoys the social side of the club as much as playing the game.'
Three years ago, Neil stepped down from the first team but it was his choice, according to the assistant manager.
'Neil has remained good enough to play a better class of football but he wanted to join the second team because it is not quite so serious,' he added.
Mr Dennis said he was 'really chuffed' by the surprise.
'Knowing it was organised just for me made for quite an emotional day,' he said. 'People I had played with ten years ago turned up and others who had given it up a long time ago came out for a bit of fun. It was a good day.
'When one lad said I had been playing longer than he had been living I think it really sunk in.'
The player said he loved football and never had any desire to play for any other team than North Tawton.
'I won about four or five cups in my time and we went from intermediate to senior one football so we did have a lot of success with the first team.
'I will keep going for a year or two while I am still reasonably fit,' he added.