Ricardo Fuller scores Hanley Town winner

At 40 years old, former national striker Ricardo Fuller is still impacting football in England. The ex-Stoke City and Tivoli Gardens star netted the winning goal five minutes from time for Hanley Town to defeat Redditch United 3-2 in their FA Cup first-round qualification game on Tuesday.

Fuller, who signed for the North West Counties Football League side in the summer, scored from the penalty spots and despite emotions running high after Hanley Town were awarded the spot kick, Fuller said his focus was all about staying calm and keeping a level head.

"I know it was a pen(alty), but it's not about the emotions, emotions will not get you anywhere," he said. "You have to stay calm and keep a cool head and focus on the job that you have to do. My job was to finish the penalty, because I was tasked with taking the penalty. So I had to stay cool and focus and make sure I nailed it, and I did that to perfection and we end up winning 3-2," Fuller said after the game on Moorlandsradio.co.uk.

Fighting Spirit

Fuller commended the team's fighting spirit and said the non-league side can go on and achieve something special in the tournament this season.

"I am here at Hanley Town to play to the best of my ability and try and add to what they have here," he said. "They didn't do that well last year, but as I told them, I am here to win something, no matter what level, and if we don't believe that, then it was pointless me coming here.

"I am serious about it. Football is my passion, my life, and I am here to make a difference and, hopefully, we continue to do this and achieve something," he added.

The draw for the next round of FA Cup matches will take place on Friday.

Fuller made 74 appearances for the Reggae Boyz and scored nine goals before retiring from international football in 2012.

He retired from club football in May 2016 after last representing Oldham Athletic in the English League in January of that year. He came out of retirement to play for Nantwich Town in the Northern Premier League, the seventh tier of football in England in November last year, before joining Hanley Town in August.