Alfreton Town's Josh Wilde is playing the waiting game

Wilde’s contract expired with the Reds last season and the defender admits he is waiting for non-league football to get back on its feet before planning his next move.

“My contract with Alfreton has come to an end like a lot of players in non-league football,” he said. “I’ve had interest from Alfreton again which is great, but I’ve also had interest from other teams.

“A lot of clubs are still unsure about their financial situation for next season which makes it difficult for them to offer terms of a contract. I’m just staying patient in the hope we find out some news soon.”

And WIlde will be hoping for a more uneventful season on a personal front after he spent most of the last campaign battling Graves’ Disease.

Wilde was a regular part of the Alfreton starting eleven, but he was suddenly no longer in the Reds matchday squad from October.

The 28-year-old had began regularly feeling ill, saying: “I was regularly having bad headaches, I would get really hot, I felt sick and I started to shake.

“I went to the doctors who instantly sent me to the hospital for further tests as my resting heart rate was at 130bpm.

“As I waited for results my condition got worse, I couldn’t work for two weeks as I couldn’t stand up very long and I felt really sick. They eventually diagnosed with Graves’ Disease.”

Graves’ Disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes hyper thyroid, creating more thyroid hormone than your body needs. If this is left untreated, it can cause serious problems with the heart, bones and muscles.

Following his diagnosis, Wilde was given medication for the issue but had to fight to be able to get back on the pitch.

The left-back said: “I couldn’t do any exercise until my heart rate was back under control. I lost a lot of muscle mass and my overall fitness had decreased.

“When I started running again it was extremely difficult and I thought I wouldn’t be able to play again this year, I had been out for so long and I couldn’t do anything to keep my fitness up.

“This was the first time in my career that I had been a club captain, so it was really frustrating to be sidelined, but I attended most games home and away to support the lads.”

Wilde’s hard work finally paid off as he returned to the Alfreton squad for their away trip to Matlock on January 21st.

And the defender is continuing to work hard to maintain his fitness as he prepares for the upcoming season.

“I’m running every other day, either three or seven miles as I try to beat my times,” he added.I” have seen a big improvement in my times which is great and I’m feeling good at the moment.

“I’m still on the medication and I’m still having regular check-ups. However, I may need to have surgery in the future to remove my thyroid.”

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