Ross Back On The Right Road And Feeling At Home

Ross Stearn was making his way back from injury when Sutton United boss Paul Doswell took him aside and told him it was time to go and get some matches elsewhere.

Back at the club after an ill-fated spell at Eastleigh, he was leaving again and Bath City in the National League South were keen.

But this wasn’t a case of reading between the lines. It turned out to be a loan spell which gave both club and player a big kick-start.

Speaking ahead of Monday’s live BT Sport match with Bromley, the winger is back and is in great form.

He told us: “I think a lot of the time people see players being told to go out on loan and you wonder if they will ever come back! But for me this was such a huge thing for a number of reasons.

“Of course mainly because I was coming back and needed matches, a run of them. The team were playing well and to force my way in wouldn’t be easy so the manager took me aside but the way he did it proved to me that this wasn’t him getting me out of the door.

“He knew my situation. My partner was about to drop - our second child was on the way and I was commuting to London from Bristol. Bath City was suggested, and with everything going on at home I could get my head down and not worry about being two hours from home if I was needed.

“Lula-Paige came into our lives in January, and very proud sister Myla is making sure mummy has plenty of support. It was great being so close to home and at very important time.

“The loan at Bath worked fantastically well. I played about six or seven games and came back to Sutton in the best place I have been for a really long time.

“I’m seeing the benefit of what it means and I’m so glad I stepped away for a while.”

His recent corker against Chester told the story of a player enjoying his football again. He was signed for “good money” by Eastleigh in November 2016 but his face just didn’t seem to fit.

“I must have played under four managers, it was difficult,” he said. “It just didn’t work out and I jumped at the chance to return to Sutton a year later.

“It was clear the club were moving forward and now look at us! We’re thriving - and we are loving the fact that we’re underdogs.”

It’s Bromley on Monday - and Stearn knows his team-mates will be a little more rested than their opponents.

“Our game with Maidenhead United was abandoned on Friday at half-time - it was a total shambles!” he said. “It shouldn’t have started but somehow we went in at half-time 3-2 up.

“It was all very strange but we know this game will be on - it’s a 3G derby.

“Bromley will be on a great high after reaching the FA Trophy final but we need three points as this is a crucial period in our season. Macclesfield keeping winning late on and that means we have to get three points.

“To win it, we’ll probably need to win five or six of our last seven. If we do that, we’ll deserve to win it.”

PICTURE: PAUL LOUGHLIN