Legend Mike Wilde says farewell to the Nomads

Cymru Premier all-time great Michael Wilde. Picture: NIK MESNEY/NCM MEDIA

Nine Welsh Premier League titles, five Welsh Cups, six League Cups and the FAW Premier Cup.

A total of 206 WPL goals, the league’s all-time record scorer in Europe, Welsh Premier Player of The Season in 2012/13 and 2020/21. Also league Golden Boot winner in 2012/13.

Mike Wilde departs Connah’s Quay Nomads today established as a true legend of the Cymru Premier.

The 37-year-old’s contract at Deeside Stadium has expired and a parting of the ways has been agreed.

But what a way to go out!

Back-to-back titles with Nomads, league player of the season and runner-up in the Golden Boot for 2020-21.

Wilde provided perhaps the pivotal moment of last season when he plundered a first-half hat-trick in Nomads’ 4-1 win at former club The New Saints which went a long way to guaranteeing Andy Morrison’s team a second successive championship.

During the campaign he also became just the fourth player in Welsh Premier history to pass 200 goals.

Wilde first landed in the WPL when he joined TNS (then known as Total Network Solutions) in 2002 from Poulton Victoria.

He spent six-and-a-half seasons with the Saints and was supporter’s player of the year in the 2004/05 and 2005/06.

Wilde joined Fleetwood Town in January 2009 before moving to Halifax Town and Chester where he netted 36 goals in 43 games before returning to TNS in June 2012.

By the time he left Park Hall, he had won seven league titles, four Welsh Cups, five League Cups and the FAW Premier Cup with the Saints.

Wilde signed for Nomads in June 2016 and made his competitive debut in the club’s first ever UEFA Europa League match against Norwegian side, Stabæk Fotball.

Welsh Premier goal number 200. Picture: NCM MEDIA/NIK MESNEY

He went on to make a total of 154 competitive starts for the club, scoring on 73 occasions.

Wilde had a knack for scoring in the big games during his time at Deeside, bagging a brace in both the JD Welsh Cup Final victory over Aberystwyth Town in 2018, and the Nathaniel MG Cup Final against STM Sports in 2020.

He also netted a famous winner against Queen’s Park at Hampden Park in the Irn Bru Cup and fittingly his final goals for the club came in the form of the aforementioned hat-trick against TNS at Park Hall as The Nomads picked up their first ever away victory over the side from Oswestry.

During his stint with the Quay, Wilde won two JD Cymru Premier titles, one JD Welsh Cup, one Nathaniel MG Cup and also picked up runners-up medals in the Irn Bru Cup and JD Welsh Cup, whilst also picking up the JD Cymru Premier Player of the Season 2020-21 award.

A statement on the Nomads website said today: “Everyone at the club would like to thank Wildey for his time and contribution at Deeside Stadium over the club’s most successful period in our history.”