G.O.A.T. - Burton Albion

Aaron Denton Webster was born on the 19th of December 1980 in Derby and joined the youth team at Burton Albion in 1998.He then became one of the most capped players in the club's history, playing over 550 games in all competitions and scoring over 100 goals in his 15 years at the club.

When Nigel Clough arrived at Burton as player manager in 1999, Aaron was a shy, lanky 18-year-old, fresh out of the club's youth team but in the ensuing 10 years, he would be as important to Burton's fairytale rise as Clough himself, by playing at left back, left wing, attacking midfield and centre forward as the Brewers were eventually promoted to the Football League in 2009. An inconsistent first season had some doubting whether he could cut it at the higher level, but in 2010-2011 his tally of 11 goals in 42 games was his best ever campaign. In 2004,after a terrific season, he signed a new 2 year deal, leading to player-boss Nigel Clough saying to the Derby Evening Telegraph, "Aaron has turned into one of the best left-sided players in the Conference and the new deal reflects his growing maturity and consistency. We've had enquiries for him but we don't plan to sell him anyway,"

 

All smiles here between Aaron Webster and manager Paul Peschisolido

 

However he came close to joining Crewe Alexandra in 2009 after being told by manager Paul Peschisolido that he would not be getting a new deal after the Brewers reached the Football League. The thought of not getting a contract for the first time at Burton was the spur Webster needed to prove Peschisolido wrong. Rejecting the chance to join Crewe Alexandra he signed a new contract at the Pirelli Stadium. The reason he had been mulling over the offer from Burton's League Two rivals was that he initially had only being offered a one-year deal at the Pirelli Stadium but finally agreed a year-long deal with an appearance-based option to extend it by a further 12 months.
Afterwards he told the club's website, "I'm chuffed everything is sorted now. It has been a difficult few days for me as Crewe are a big club. I was disappointed not be retained at the end of last season but that made me determined to prove to the manager that I can be a better and fitter player. I think I have shown that in the first couple of weeks of pre-season training." 

 Finally after 15 years at a club where he became their longest serving player he was released following the League Two play-off semi-final defeat against Bradford. He had been a fixture in the side more or less since he turned pro, helping the club on its rise up to the Football League, his attacking flair making him a constant threat to the opposition. Aged 32 he took to Twitter to say, "I am absolutely devastated even though I knew what the outcome would be."

After leaving The Brewers, he had brief stints at Ilkeston and Mickleover Sports before joining Basforth United in 2014. Aaron Webster was the second inductee into the Brewers Hall Of Fame in 2019.