Having joined the Sulphurites in 2017, veteran midfielder Josh Falkingham is in his seventh season at Wetherby Road, and is not finished just yet at the age of 33.
In January 2023, Falkingham put pen to paper and signed a new short-term contract, keeping him at the League Two side until the summer of 2025.
‘I am really happy that I was able to sign the contract when I was able to,’ Falkingham explained. ‘At the age that I am at now, I believe that for me, I want to see out my career at Harrogate.’
Of course, this is not to say that Falkingham plans on ending his career once his contract runs out, as the captain hopes that he is able to maintain his standards and continue to do what he has always done in the game despite being nearing the later stages of his career.
‘I know what football is like. Even though I have signed a two year contract, football can change really quickly. For me, it is about keeping my head down, keep doing everything like i have always done, and just try and consistently, week after week, put in good performances for the manger, for the club, and go as far as that takes me, to whatever age I can hopefully play to. As I say, hopefully I will be seeing my career out at Harrogate Town.’
Falkingham is somewhat of a hero at Wetherby road, as in the 19/20 season, as he was part of their National League Play-off winning side that took Harrogate back up into the English Football League.
On top of this, he ensured that Harrogate won their first ever FA Trophy during the Covid-19 pandemic, as he captained his team to victory in an empty Wembley Stadium where he cemented himself into Harrogate Town history by scoring the winning goal.
Undoubtedly, Harrogate supporters will be delighted, firstly at the signing of his new deal, but also the prospect of Falkingham staying with them beyond his current deal until the right time comes to retire.
Looking back on his time with Harrogate up to now, Falkingham said, ‘It has been a brilliant journey, and has given me some of the best memories that I’ve got in football. We managed to achieve promotion into the football league, and I think many thought it was the pinnacle for Harrogate, but for me I knew that I still had a lot left in me to achieve even more.’
Falkingham’s drive to achieve success continuously at the club is clear.
‘It’s all about looking forward and pushing the club as high as possible, and i really believe that with the right people here still, we can achieve. For me it has always been about, can we push on? Can we go into League One?’
The skipper has been a truly fantastic servant for the club, and is a clear leader and driving force amongst the team. Fans will be excited to hear that at the age of 33, Falkingham has not quite finished yet and still has a great hunger for success with the club.
