NEW Bradford (Park Avenue) signing Mark Beevers is relishing his role as the group leader but has insisted he is “no Roy Keane”.

The former Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Millwall star joined the Horsfall side in September, and since then Avenue have gone seven unbeaten in the Northern Premier League Division One East.

They’ve also kept four clean sheets during that period, and it’s no surprise that the side’s turn in fortunes has coincided with the arrival of Beevers, a man who has made over 500 EFL appearances as a defender during his career.

At 34-years-old, the defensive stalwart is one of the most experienced players at Avenue, and he’s hoping that his leadership can guide Elliot’s side to a play-off finish come the end of the season. They currently sit 5th.

Speaking exclusively to the T&A, Beevers said: “I’d like to think I bring some good qualities to this team and dressing room. Throughout my professional career, I was known for leading by example.

“I enjoy being a leader on the pitch or at the training ground, whether it’s by my actions or my words. However, I’m not a Roy Keane type of player who might grip someone up against the wall,” Beevers joked.

“I’m quite happy with what’s on my CV so far; I’ve got a lot of appearances to my name and with that comes a wealth of experience.

“So, that’s what I’d like to think I bring to this project. We have some young players at Avenue, so having that older head to look up to can be nice for them.

“From my experience, it goes along way when you get that little bit of advice or nudge in the right direction from one of the older boys.

“Hopefully I can continue to assist them and help them along the way, because we are heading in the right direction for a play-off finish if we continue at this rate.”

Mark Beevers (no6) is enjoying his leadership role at Bradford (Park Avenue)Mark Beevers (no6) is enjoying his leadership role at Bradford (Park Avenue) (Image: Mike Bayly) Reflecting on his time at Avenue so far, Beevers said: “I’m loving it, it’s been great.

“It came around (the move to Avenue) in a strange way really, as one of my friends (Joe Thornton) played under Craig Elliott in the past and he reached out to Joe to see if I still wanted to play.

“At some stage in my career, I wanted to play part-time football, and this move to Bradford fitted perfectly for me, not just for me but my family too.”

He added: “Going from the professional game to part-time has meant that it’s a bit of a transitional period for me. I’ve got a job alongside my involvement with Avenue, but it’s been very exciting so far and I’m looking forward to the rest of my time here.

“I can only see us improving and that’s what is driving the group forward.”

And Beevers admitted that it’s been nice to see some real quality within the team.

He said: “I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised about how good some of the players are here. We’ve definitely got enough quality to be challenging at the higher end of the league.”

The experienced defender had been playing for Perth Glory in Australia prior to his move to West Yorkshire, and although the white sands and blue skies differ to the lifestyle of Bradford, he spoke of his delight to be back in the gloomy north of England.

He said: “I’m used to being in Yorkshire from my past clubs, so the adaption back to the north has been quite easy for me.

“I like being home, but I think my wife would have happily stayed out there if she could have done,” Beevers joked.

“What I can say is that the experience of playing out in Australia was fantastic and we all thoroughly enjoyed being over there.

“To get that opportunity to experience something completely new, along with my wife and kids, is something that I’ll never forget, and the memories will remain with me forever.

“Who knows? We might end up back there in the future, but for now I’m enjoying being back.”