MARK Creighton is finding it hard to believe the transformation of the past 12 months.

This time last year, the giant Kidderminster Harriers defender was fitting satellite dishes and playing part-time football with Redditch United.

Now he has been named player-of-the-season at Aggborough and will tomorrow appear live on Sky TV at the new Wembley in the FA Trophy final against Stevenage Borough.

The 25-year-old said: "If you had said to me last year when I was at Redditch that I would be playing at Kidderminster, play every minute of every game, that I'd win things and then go and play at Wembley I would have said you were a liar.

"It's been unbelievable. I can't ask for anything more than what's happened to me this year.

"It's been amazing. To go from playing part-time football all my life, and fitting Sky dishes, and then to come and play full-time and do well is amazing for me and my family."

The no-nonsense defender has come full circle in his career to date after being released by Harriers following a spell as a youth teamer.

So being able to walk out at the national stadium for one of the biggest matches in the club's history as their current player-of-the-season is extra special. He said: "Not only does it mean a lot to myself, it means a lot to my family. My mum was crying when it was announced.

"In a way I did it for my family because I have taken knock-backs in football and they've always stuck by me so to come and achieve something so big is for them more than me."

Creighton believes he is part of a Harriers set-up with the best team spirit he has seen and is confident that will hold them in good stead come kick-off tomorrow.

"We have got a good team spirit," he said. "I have been at a few clubs in non-league, a few clubs that I have enjoyed being at and a few clubs that I haven't.

"The ones you enjoy are the ones where you've got good team spirit and the lads all get on.

"The team spirit in this camp is better than I have seen at any club that I've been at and if one thing's going to carry you through, that will definitely carry you through.

"Anything can happen on the day and let's just hope the team spirit we have got and the work-rate we can put into the game will bring us through and we can bring home a nice piece of silverware."

However, Creighton admits the players have found it difficult to erase the final from their minds in the closing weeks of the season but dismisses the suggestion his colleagues have not tried their hardest.

He said: "It's hard not to have one eye on the final. I know there's a lot of talk that the lads have got something else on their mind or aren't giving it their full effort but I disagree with that.

"We always give it our full effort."