AFC Emley's Mark Wilson is set to make his 900th appearance in non-league football in the next couple of days.

At the tender age of 42, he is expected to appear in his sides clash with Bottesford Town on Thursday night.

The attacking midfielder, known affectionately as Willy, is immediately recognised by his long blonde locks and trademark no-nonsense approach on the pitch.

He has enjoyed an illustrious career in the game representing no less than eighteen clubs since being released by the then Huddersfield Town manager Eoin Hand in 1991.

After leaving Town, he moved to Frickley Athletic before helping Bradford Park Avenue to promotion from the North West Counties League to the Northern Premier in 1995.

Wilson moved to Emley the following season and became a key player in the most celebrated side in the club's history, managed at the time by Ronnie Glavin.

The high point of his career was being part of the 1997-98 squad who went all the way to the Third Round of the FA Cup before being narrowly defeated 2-1 by West Ham at Upton Park.

Starting on the bench that day, Willy was clearly deflated but he got his chance to shine on one of English football's most famous stages, coming on for the unfortunate Neil Lacey after just six minutes and winning the plaudits for a typically dogged display.

He left Emley in 1999 and went on to play for a host of other clubs including Worksop where he scored in the penalty shoot out FA Trophy victory over Accrington Stanley, who would go on to win promotion to the Football League later that year.

Wilson was part of the Buxton side who were beaten finalists in the 2008 Northern Premier Play-offs before eventually linking up with Glavin again at Wakefield.

Moving on from Wakefield, he had a spell at Ossett Town and being assistant manager to Paul Sykes, the current Emley FC captain, during the 2011 season.

He finally returned to the claret and blue of AFC Emley in February 2013, making his first appearance away at Clipstone and it was like he had never been away putting in a man-of-the-match winning performance.

In his own words, Wilson describes Emley as "a club close to my heart where I have many memories and friends through football and in the community. It is fitting that I will play my 900th competitive non-league game at a place I call home."

When asked how long he can continue playing after the recent game with Hemsworth, he simply answered "I want to do a hundred more". Who would bet against him?

Where has he been? - A comprehensive list (we think) of all of Willy's previous clubs: Frickley, Heanor Town, Farsley Celtic, Bradford Park Avenue, Ossett Albion, Ossett Town, Harrogate Town, Emley, Shepshed Dynamo, Belper, Sutton Town, Grantham, Worksop Town, Wakefield, Buxton, Glapwell, Hall Green.