He's played against David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson,

He’s featured up front, in midfield, in defence and in goal.

And the clubs he’s turned out for read like an A-Z of non-league football.

Now AFC Emley skipper Paul Sykes is set for his 900th career appearance.

It comes in Tuesday’s Northern Counties East League clash at Yorkshire Amateur.

“If selected,” says the 37-year-old from Wakefield, who takes his football just as seriously as when he was starting out as a teenager at Sheffield Wednesday.

Sykes had high hopes of forging a fully professional career at Hillsborough, but three bad injuries (damaged knee ligaments, a broken leg and broken arm) in four years led to his release.

“Trevor Francis gave me a contract, but David Pleat let me go, and obviously it was a wrench,” adds the player who then had spells at Darlington and Torquay United.

“I had some memorable times at Wednesday, playing in reserve games against the likes of Beckham and Scholes, in a testimonial against Robson and training with players like Chris Waddle and (Swedish international) Klas Ingesson, who were great to learn from.”

Now Sykes, who has three sports-mad sons – James, 15, Leyton, 10 and Tyler, nine – and works as a driving instructor, is the one passing on footballing tips and advice.

“We’ve got a young squad at Emley, and it’s great that the lads feel able to turn to me,” explains the man who began his non-league career down South with Dover Athletic, Welling United and Margate, then played for Bradford Park Avenue, the original Emley, Ossett Town (several times), Gainsborough Trinity, Harrogate Town, Worksop Town, Stalybridge Celtic (for whom he turned out as an emergency keeper), FC Halifax Town, Worksop Parramore and Glasshoughton Miners Welfare before joining AFC Emley two years ago.

Sykes has helped his current club reach the top of the NCEL Division I (they beat Rossington Main 4-0 on Saturday) and admits that if they win the title this season, he may consider hanging up his boots in a high rather than pushing on towards 1,000 matches.

“That would be a great way to bow out, but it hasn’t happened yet, so we’ll wait and see how things look in April,” says Sykes, who hails the support of wife Nickola, smiling: “It’s not a question of whether she likes sport, because in our house, you have to.

“She has been behind me and the boys 100 per cent, and don’t forget, it’s not just matches that takes my time up, but training two or three times a week, and she also supports our sons, who all play as well.”