Dillon Morse has experienced everything during his decade-long stay at National League North club South Shields.

South Shields FC stalwart Dillon Morse always dreamt of playing for his beloved Sunderland - but working alongside Wearside icons Julio Arca and Kevin Phillips during his decade-long spell with the Mariners was more than just a consolation prize.

A regular visitor to the Stadium of Light during his childhood and teenage years, Morse has never hidden from his love of the red and whites throughout his own playing career as he established himself as a steady and reliable defender with Blyth Spartans and South Shields. Although a career in the EFL or Premier league remained out of reach, Morse lived the dream playing alongside his boyhood hero Julio Arca as the Mariners rose up the non-league pyramid before working under the Argentinean midfielder when he was appointed as manager of the club where he ended his playing career.

Julio Arca and Dillon Morse celebrate South Shields' FA Vase final win (Getty Images) | Getty Images

placeholder image — Julio Arca and Dillon Morse celebrate South Shields' FA Vase final win (Getty Images) | Getty Images

That came just months after Black Cats legend Phillips, who was a European Golden Boot winner during his time on Wearside, guided South Shields to the Northern Premier League Premier Division title during what would become his first and only full season in charge at Mariners Park before he was succeeded by his former Sunderland team-mate Arca. For a boyhood Black Cats fan and his family, featuring alongside two icons of Sunderland’s recent history was a source of pride.

He told The Gazette: “I never imagined I’d end up working with or playing under Sunderland legends like I have. Obviously, when you’re growing up, you just want to play football, you just want to enjoy it. But I couldn’t imagine I’d play alongside Julio or play for Kevin Phillips. For me, I was a bit starstruck at first - but then you get used to it and realise they’re just normal people. You work with them - but for my family, they’re massive Sunderland fans and it meant a lot to them too. It clearly made them proud.”

Challenging

South Shields head coach Mike Williamson (photo South Shields FC) | South Shields FC

Although he has worked alongside some red and white legends, Morse will head into the new season working under a manager from the other side of the Tyne-Wear derby divide after former Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson was named as South Shields head coach earlier this month. The 42-year-old was already working at Mariners Park as first-team coach and head of director and culture before he was appointed as successor to Ian Watson following his departure to League Two club Rochdale.

No matter who was in the dugout come the opening day of the season, the aim for the campaign is all too clear. After narrowly missing out on the National League North title and falling to a defeat against Kidderminster Harriers in the play-off final, the Mariners will be expected to be challenging for promotion into non-league’s top tier once again - and Morse sees no reason why they can’t rise to that challenge.

“You look at Kidderminster Harriers last year, they were one point from winning the league and then they have got promoted,” he explained. “You then look at us. We finished last season in the bottom half of the table in seventeenth place and that’s comfortably the worst finish I’ve had in my time at the club. We’ve been used to challenging at the top of a division so that was a new experience for us all and I don’t think it was one that anyone really enjoyed. I know I didn’t and I don’t want us to go through that again to be honest with you. We will be up there again and we will be fighting for promotion. There are some big teams in the division now but we can be up there and challenging once again.”

Relentless

Action from South Shields' National League North play-off final defeat against Kidderminster Harriers (photo Kevin Wilson) | Kevin Wilson

The Mariners will be far from the only side that will fancy their chances of topping the National League North table during the upcoming season after the division was boosted by the arrival of several ambitious clubs. Former EFL outfit Morecambe and former step two stalwarts Brackley Town have dropped into the division from the National League and Hednesford Town, Harborough Town and last season’s FA Cup opponents Spalding United have been promoted from step three. Hebburn Town’s promotion as Northern Premier League champions only adds to the intrigue of what could lie ahead as the two sides prepare to meet in league competition for the first time since the 2015/16 season when they both competed in the second tier of the Northern League.

Ahead of the new season, Morse insisted South Shields must be prepared to embrace the pressure they will face in what he described as a ‘relentless’ division.

He said: “We have learnt lessons from last season and we know the challenges that you get when you’re at the top end of the division. You become a bit of a target for opposition, they want to stop you pushing for league titles, play-offs and promotion and that brings added pressure. No game is ever going to be easy, this division is relentless, and every side brings different challenges so we have to be ready for everything and make sure we do everything we can to get to where we want to take this football club. I think everyone knows the ambitions for where the owners want us to go and it’s down to everyone involved at the club to do everything they can to make that happen.”

Your next South Shields FC read: Exclusive Part One: Dillon Morse happy to be South Shields FC's last-man standing after decade of service