Torquay United

Torquay United stalwart Kevin Hill is marking his 10 years with the club with a testimonial against Plymouth Argyle this July.

Since making his debut against Macclesfield in 1997, Devon-born 'Hilly' has gone on to play more than 400 games for the Gulls.

It's a remarkable achievement for the 30-year-old former shelf stacker, who readily admits he feared that he might have missed the football boat.

"I always thought I was half good, I was school captain and stuff like that but I thought my time had gone when I was 19 or 20.

"I was doing well in the Devon League but it's not really a top league and I thought my chance had gone but I kept plugging away."

Hill went straight into the first team and scored seven times in more than 40 appearences as the Gulls came within a whisker of automatic promotion - only to miss out at Orient on the final day of the season.

"All we had to do was avoid losing at Orient and we lost 2-1. I always remember Kenny Veysey getting sent off and then Alex Watson hitting the bar in the last five minutes."

The Gulls did battle through to the play-off final at Wembley in 1998, only to be beaten by Colchester - and there was further heartbreak for Hill who was named in the squad but ended up as a non-playing sub.

"In my very first year I saw everything from playing in parks in Torrington, to going to half decent grounds, to going to Wembley in the same year.

"That was a proud moment, walking out at Wembley and the build up beforehand, getting suited and booted, it's all part of the experience."

Perhaps unsurprisingly Hill shares his favourite memories with many fans - the away wins at Barnet which preserved their league status in 2001 and the victory at Southend three years later which secured promotion.

"Barnet was such a relief and it meant so much for the club, but for me personally, having scored in that match, it was hard to say.

"Obviously going up was fantastic, because you've done it the hard way. A little club like Torquay, it was terrific, particularly having all the fans there."

However, that was Hill's only promotion and within 12 months there was some more tough medicine at the hands of Colchester as the Gulls were relegated on the final day of the season in 2005.

Then, in May 2007, the Gulls finally slipped out of the Football League with barely a whimper - the club torn apart by internal wrangles.

But with the boardroom battles now settled and a new management team in place, Hill has high hopes for next season.

"It is a new era, new players, new management, it's a fresh start."

And now pushing 31, Hill is wise enough to realise that his playing career is drawing to a close.

"I'd like to get involved in the coaching side even if it's just managing a local team down here, as long as I'm still a part of football.

"I've always thought about being a fireman because I'm a naturally fit guy. And I've taken a few courses to get my education up so if I am released next season, you don't know."