We are delighted to announce that Prince Ekpolo has signed a new contract with the club for the 2024/25 season.

Guiseley fans will be delighted to hear that key midfielder Prince Ekpolo is remaining with the club for another season, writes Rachel O’Connor.

The 30 year-old player, who re-joined the club at the start of last season after a season away at AFC Telford United, said that he had bought into the club’s plans for the upcoming season and was looking forward to it.

Ekpolo explained: “I feel that we fell a bit short last season, there was too much change, and I am looking to a more settled season under the new management team.

“I am looking forward to seeing some new players in the squad and was happy to hear the plans for next season. I believe the new season will be a lot better and there will be some good signings. We will be where we need to be come the end of the season.”

He added: “We obviously need to start well and finish well. Our aim is to get this club to the next level, I for one don’t want to be playing at this level for too long. It will be very tough and very competitive, it will not be easy. We will need characters in the side.”

I posed the question ‘why did he return to Guiseley after playing at a higher level with Telford’ and his answer was: “I feel at home at Guiseley, it has been like family and friends to me. Everyone is very supportive, particularly James Pickles, the Secretary, and Russ O’Neill, the Director of Football, who have always been there if I have needed help.”

The Nigerian-born player, who works in Health Care at Preston Royal Infirmary, was studying mechanical engineering but found college work did not fit in with his football.

“I would like to go back to it one day though,” he added.

The player is still struggling with tonsillitus, something he has had since February and affected his ability to play in the closing stages of the season.

It is something he is finding particularly painful and very hard to shake off.

“I have never felt as much pain before, it is worse than my knee injury was. There seems to be no end to it and I want rid of it so I can be fit and raring to go when training starts. I wasn’t able to eat for over two weeks and I have lost weight.”

Guiseley originally signed the central midfielder from Glossop North End as a Non Contract player in the second-half of the 2019-20 season.

The former Burscough player started life in Nigeria but moved to Spain where he started playing football at the age of nine. He had aspirations to be a goalkeeper and was dreaming of playing in that position when he was a young child in Africa. He came to England in 2016.