We’re delighted to announce that Shaun Tuton is back at Nethermoor for the 2022/23 campaign!
After a record breaking return following a broken leg Shaun Tuton is looking forward to starting the new season under recently installed Guiseley manager Danny Ellis, writes Rachel O’Connor.
It may well have been that experienced attacker Tuton might never have returned to Nethermoor as there was a mix-up between him and his new boss.
The Sheffield-born forward, aged 30, explained: “There was a bit of a mix-up between us as Danny thought that I had left and was not coming back and as I was away on holiday I had missed his calls. We eventually got our chat and sorted everything out. All that he spoke about seemed to fit right and I want to return to Guiseley and prove what I can do.
“I always wanted to come back as after I broke my tibia against Southport last season Guiseley always looked after me. They were there all the way through and that was why I made my late re-appearance at the end of the season. I wanted to try and help them stay up but that was not to be.”
Speaking of his injury Tuton said: “I was determined to get back as soon as I could, the doctors said it would take 12 months but I was determined to get back as quickly as possible and I had two good physios back home in Sheffield who helped me achieve it in five months.”
Tuton is now filly fit and raring to get started on a new season. He was fully involved in the club’s first training session last Saturday and said that he felt the very positive vibes at the session.
“The two Dannys were very clear in what they wanted from us and they appear to have got a good set of lads together. The gaffers want 100% focus from everyone and made it clear that if you were not willing to give that then you should not be there. You cannot be half-hearted about it,” said Tuton.
He added: “Danny is building a good side and the pair of them have good drive and are determined to get us back to National League North. Relegation has been firmly put behind the club and the focus is on rebuilding. I 100% believe that we will at least get to the play-offs. I know there are some good clubs in that league, I have played for some of them like Matlock Town and Belper, but we are there to battle for promotion.”
Tuton has further to travel this season for training with it having been moved from his own area of Sheffield to more local to Guiseley but he said: “That doesn’t really bother me as some of the new lads are from Sheffield, one of whom George Smith I know from our time at Barnsley together. There are lads to travel with like him and Nat Crofts. The facilities at West Park are really good so it will be a good base to train from.”
Tuton also cannot wait for Saturday’s opening friendly against Bury at Nethermoor Park saying: “There is real positivity around the whole club and I want to get back in front of those Lions’ fans who stood behind us all the way as we got relegated. They always give us a positive vibe and get behind us and now they deserve some good times.”
Throughout his career Tuton has played a free role as an attacker, able to come in from left or right or down the middle and he sees that continuing under Ellis. Off the field he will be assisting his father in the family property development business.
He joined Guiseley in October 2021 from Alfreton Town but just two months later broke his leg. He started out in the Sheffield and District Junior Sunday League with Handsworth Boys, a league which also saw the likes of Jamie Vardy, Gary Cahill, Matt Lowton, Mark Crossley, Jordan Rhodes, Billy Sharpe and Dominic Calvert-Lewin among others come to prominence.
His ‘teenage years were spent with Teversal and Matlock Town before he joined Belper Town. He returned to Matlock and then made a move to Buxton. Trials at Carlisle United and Morecambe preceded Tuton signing for Neil Aspin at Halifax Town, where he was a teammate of former Guiseley captain Hamza Bencherif.
His goalscoring feats at Halifax led to him getting a move to League One Barnsley but his first team chances there faded when the club was promoted to The Championship. A move followed to League Two Grimsby Town on loan before he joined Barrow in the National League in another loan move. A similar move took him back to Halifax but that session was ended by an ankle injury.
A further move to Chester in 2018 produced short loan spells at Spennymoor and Chorley before Tuton joined Boston United in 2019-20 season. Alfreton Town followed in 2021 but he played just three games before joining Guiseley.
After all his travels Tuton now feels that he has found his spiritual home and he hopes to settle down and play his best football.