FORMER Weymouth reserve-team boss Mark Carter believes all of last season’s squad are “capable of playing at a higher level” than the Magna Dorset Premier League.

Carter has stepped down from the role due to work commitments but has told all the players to keep aiming high.

He said: “What the lads achieved last season was absolutely fantastic. As a reserve-team boss you are always having to chop and change the side due to call-ups to the first team and the fact we still managed to finish second in the league and win the Dorset Premier League Cup was incredible.

“All the lads conducted themselves in a very professional manner throughout the campaign and for the younger ones it was a big learning curve, which they handled superbly.

“Players like Sam Poole and Joe Charles made big impressions after stepping up from the youth team and I have to say I thought Sam was our player of the season. In terms of consistency he was fantastic, along with the likes of Mitch Conning and Ryan McKechnie, who never let us down.

“It was also great to see the likes of Alex Halloran, John Litherland, Sam Clarke and Lewis Whyton all step up into the first team and it is important those players keep testing themselves.”

Carter went on to add: “After I made the decision to step down, I immediately contacted all of the lads to tell them not to just settle at DPL standard.

“Every single one of them is capable of playing at a higher level than that but it is about perseverance and pushing themselves.

“The problem is that once players get a sniff they think they have already made it but it is not like that. Sometimes you have to be patient and earn the right to get there again but unfortunately all too often young players choose to give up instead, which is a huge shame.

“Whoever the new first-team manager is that comes in at Weymouth, he is going to have a low budget to work with so if the lads can turn up eager to prove themselves in pre-season and take everything on board, they will stand a good chance of breaking through.”

One player who is renowned for his perseverance is midfielder Ben Reiffer, who had an operation on Monday on the cruciate ligament injury that curtailed his season.

Carter said: “Ben had his operation earlier this week on the same day as his 19th birthday, and now faces eight months of recuperation but as I have said before, if anyone can come back stronger from this it is him.

“He has always had that bit between his teeth to work hard and we wish him all the best and look forward to seeing him back out on the pitch in the near future.”