CALVIN Brooks reached a landmark for Weymouth when he played against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday.

The Terras legend is now just the 17th player to have played 350 competitive matches for the Dorset club after his appearance in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat.

He joins a prestigious list of Weymouth players to have achieved the feat, including Tony Hobson, Anni Iannone and goalkeeping coach Jason Matthews.

The versatile defender's career at the club has spanned over a decade and includes 331 starts, 32 goals and 100 clean sheets.

In an interview with the club's media team, Brooks revealed that reaching the 350 mark has been in the back of his mind for a while now. 

He said: “It was a little while ago, when I played my 300th game, and it’s something lots of people have reminded me of too.

 “But, a few things have happened in-between.”

Brooks joined from local rivals Yeovil in 2014, initially on loan, before signing permanently in 2015, and the defender remembers just how easy it was to sign for the Terras. 

He said: “There were three clubs who were interested in me at the time. But, when I heard that one of them was Weymouth, it took me about 10 seconds to make my choice. I knew I would be heading to a massive club, a real sleeping giant.”

“Although, it’s only once you join that you realise how committed the fans and volunteers are - the size of the fanbase stood out straight away.”

An injury sustained in February earlier this year sidelined the defender for six months and delayed the milestone, as did a move to Salisbury in 2021, which Brooks described as a 'heartbreaking decision' after seven years at the club.

However, he returned at the beginning of the 2023/24 season and has become a key member of Mark Molesley's side, and despite results not going Weymouth's way this season, he believes the team has a lot of potential and that results will pick in time. 

He added: “We’ve kept the core group together from last season, which helps with our chemistry and camaraderie, but we’ve also added quality over the summer.

"We definitely have a capable group; it’s just a matter of showcasing that on a Saturday or Tuesday.”