The 21-year-old former Star Trophy and Rozel Rovers striker returned from injury to score in his last two matches – a 2-0 win against Croydon last Saturday and the winner in Tuesday night’s 4-3 second-round replay in the FA Trophy against Cinderford.Lewes’ victory sets up a mouth-watering home tie with Conference League leaders Weymouth, Whiteman’s former club, in the third round of the competition on Saturday 10 January.Whiteman, who was on Manchester United’s books as a junior, said: ‘It’s great to be back playing again as I’ve been out of action for two months.
I had an ankle injury but in my first game back I took a whack on my knee and strained a ligament.’I hope now I can stay clear of injury and have an extended run in the team.
If I can do that and continue to play well and score goals then maybe I’ll get a chance to play higher up the league ladder again.’I’m happy at Lewes, they have a young manager in Steve King and he has lots of contacts at Football League clubs.
He is in his first season with the club and he has attracted a lot of quality players here.
Everything is going really well at the moment, the team are playing good possession football and we’ve won 16 and drawn two of our 19 league matches.’Whiteman has now scored ten goals in 13 games and in Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph it was reported that Football League scouts have been flooding to Lewes matches to look at their players.Whiteman, who has also played for Bury, said: ‘Without being disrespectful to the other teams we are too good for this division.
The manager has recruited some excellent players and our two wingers are by far the best in the division.’We play a 3-5-2 system and that suits me fine.
Junior Caddy has won an FA Trophy medal with another club and he is an excellent midfielder.
He slips me through quite a lot and that’s good because not only is it giving me chances I’m also hitting the target quite regularly as well.’Lewes’ win against Croydon last Saturday was their ninth in succession at home to keep the Sussex club eight points ahead of second-placed Windsor and Eton.Lewes are targeting the title and a play-off against the Division I North winners for a place in the revised Conference South restructuring next season.
