DANILO ORSI admits Crawley Town took a risk on signing former Non-League “nobodies” but said he always felt they would get promoted after leading the club into League One.
The Red Devils striker played for Cockfosters, East Thurrock United, Hungerford Town, Hampton & Richmond Borough and Maidenhead United before getting his chance in the EFL with Harrogate Town.
However, a difficult season in North Yorkshire, which saw him loaned to Boreham Wood, and a disappointing spell with Grimsby Town, led him to Scott Lindsey’s team of misfits last summer for an undisclosed fee. Orsi never looked back.
From favourites to be relegated from League Two, Town eventually finished seventh and made the play-offs, where they beat Crewe 2-0 in last Sunday’s final at Wembley. Orsi admits it was only in the dressing-room that there was a belief they could go up.
“The club was signing nobodies I guess at the time but we knew what we could achieve,” said the 28-yearold, who scored 25 goals in 50 matches in his first season in West Sussex.
“I don’t blame people for doubting us after signingg Non-League players, I understand where they are coming from to a degree, but we completed what we set out to do. I saw what people don’t see and we set a target of promotion in pre-season, when peoplee thought we would be rele-egated.
“We went seven games without a win in October and we adopted a mentality from Non-League,e, backs to the wall. Now we want to enjoy every moment because of the struggles we have had to get here.”
The Camden-born forward, who established a 39-goal partnership with ex-Oxford City man Klaidi Lolos at the Broadfield Stadium, is one of a number of former Non-League players in the play-off winners’ squad.
Orsi, who turned his back on a career in IT to play college soccer in the United States, looks back on playing part-time with fondness and revealed he always looks out for his old clubs’ results – even though he doesn’t have a favourite. “It’s hard to pick one! I’ve had loads of messages from the boys in Non-League. I look at my time at Hampton & Richmond and Maidenhead as one which really helped me,” he added.
“It was Covid and there were no fans in the ground but I hit 20 goals in a season for the first time and f
