Former Chesterfield striker was steward in Spireites' end at Wembley for play-off final against Notts County

Ricky German, 24, currently plays for seventh tier side Chesham United in the Southern League Premier Division South.

German made a handful of appearances for Town as a teenager between 2016 and 2018 after coming through the academy.

He went out on loan to gain some experience of men’s first-team football at Alfreton Town, Sheffield FC and Matlock Town before being released after Chesterfield were relegated to the National League in 2018.

German then signed for Hendon and his impressive record of 28 goals in 21 games caught the attention of League Two Crawley Town, who secured the services of the then 19-year-old on a three-year deal in January 2019.

But things didn’t really work out for him at the Reds and he was loaned out to Hemel Hempstead, Dulwich Hamlet and Hendon before being let go.

The forward suffered his own play-off heartache this season, losing 1-0 to Bracknell Town in the semi-finals after a fifth-placed finish.

According to his Twitter account, German sadly had a year out from football due to ‘depression, anxiety and drinking excessively’. By his own admission, he returned to pre-season ‘overweight, unfit and dealing with injuries.’ However, he added: “But it didn't stop me! It's a long road back. Double figures hit.”

And it appears he is in a positive frame of mind now, saying that he is ‘looking forward to next season already.’

It also seems the Spireites still hold a place in his heart because his Twitter profile picture is him playing for Chesterfield. And before the play-off final against Notts County, he tweeted: “Lets Gooo @ChesterfieldFC hoping for a big win today!!! #UpTheSpireites.”

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