‘Always up to no good’ - The revealing insight in to key Bristol Rovers figure

Finley is an important player for Bristol Rovers - and now we have an insight in to what he was like growing up.
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Bristol Rovers midfielder Sam Finley is deserving of his current status, admits his former teammate Chris Marriott.

Before Finley became an established midfielder in League One with the Gas and Fleetwood Town, as well as Accrington Stanley, he was in the non-league with Wrexham, as well as The New Saints in the Cymru Premier, which is the top flight of Welsh football.

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The 30-year-old began his career at Southport and Warrington Town, before moving to TNS where he had the most successful spell of his career. He had four seasons at Park Hall, and won four league titles, as well as two Welsh Cups, and that earned him a move to Wrexham and later AFC Fylde.

In a sit-down interview with Welsh broadcaster S4C, Marriott said: "He was a bundle of energy, Sam. He could do everything, he could defend, he could attack, he was everywhere. Great player and he’s obviously gone on to a higher level now and he he deserves it."

Finley is into the best years of his career, and is one of the first names on the team sheet at the Memorial Stadium. He has been an important player during Joey Barton's tenure, and has a further season remaining on his contract.

His former teammate gave an insight in to how he was like as a youngster, and revealed that he would regularly challenge the senior players at the club, including Steve Evans. Evans, a Welsh international, who stood at six foot three, was an experienced player at the time, and but Finley was not afraid to criticse him or challenge his opinion.

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Marriott added: "Brilliant, breath of fresh air. Obviously he showed no one respect in a good way. Because he was so young, he just took the game by storm.

"He was always up to no good, but in a good way, nothing bad. I think he earned respect from that. So obviously he wouldn’t be shy of shouting at someone like Steve Evans, who had been and done everything and was twice his size. That was good. That was what made him a good character to have."

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