AFC Totton
VERSATILE MIDFIELDER OLLIE ERDINC has joined AFC Totton following his release from The Stags’ Vanarama National League neighbours, Eastleigh.
Originally from Romsey, Erdinc played for one of the Romsey Town youth teams as a child, before making the switch to The Spitfires. He tasted success for the first time as a member of the Eastleigh Whites youth team that won their league title.
He went on trial with Portsmouth and, after not being offered a contract, a subsequent eight-week trial at Southampton. The Saints did not take him on either, but a referral back to their local rivals led to a second trial at Fratton Park. However, by the end of it, Erdinc was still without a club and eventually returned to Eastleigh to begin a scholarship programme.
Erdinc played on loan for Hythe & Dibden but an injury cut his season short, and he was still sidelined when he joined the Eastleigh Development Squad as an U23 player, returning to fitness in time to play in their last five games of 2023/24.
AFC Totton defender Joe Oastler coaches the EDS by way of a day job, and it was on his recommendation that Jimmy Ball agreed to take a look at the midfielder when his deal at the Silverlake Stadium was not renewed, resulting in Erdinc being present throughout this summer’s entire pre-season campaign.
Positionally, he describes himself as “a four, an eight or a ten”, which in old money means he can play either as a central defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder or as a creative playmaker, operating just behind a front two or a single striker. When pressed, he admits he prefers to play the box-to-box role, and identifies Arsenal’s England international Declan Rice as the one player whose style most matches his own.
“Everything has been good, so far,” says Erdinc, of his AFC Totton experience to date, speaking after having featured in the U23s’ pre-season defeat to Downton’s first team.
“I’ve been training with the Totton first team squad, where all the players have played at a higher level and they bring a lot of professionalism to every session. Tuesday, Thursday, week-in, week-out, they give 100% effort and you have to match that or you’ll get left behind, and I’m really enjoying it.
“The signing of Charlie Austin just shows the direction this club is going in, and I can see already that I’ll learn a lot just by watching him in training.”
Erdinc is confident that his previous injury problems are now behind him and he is looking forward to making his mark on the 2024/25 campaign.
“I’m lucky enough to be among a group of friends that includes a few professional footballers, and we all got together early in the summer to do a ‘pre-pre-season’, where we helped each other to get fit ahead of pre-season. We did a lot of running and group work, both with and without the ball, and we all took it seriously. That did me a world of good and I’ve been able to more than carry my own during the sessions with Totton.
“I totally trust Jimmy Ball, he’s been great with me and I’m going to do what he tells me, and just work as hard as I can to make the most of this opportunity.
“Like all players, I want to play as much as I can, and contribute as many goals and assists as possible to help the team achieve success on the pitch.”
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Image courtesy of Tom McKenzie
