Liam Friend
DOB: 23rd March 1988
Position: Centre-back
Season of first appearance: 2017/18
Season of last appearance: 2020/21
Full Appearances: 119
Substitute: 0
Goals: 3
Also played for:
Folkestone Invicta, Ramsgate, Chatham Town, Ashford United, Herne Bay.
Player Profile:
Dover-born central defender who made nearly 550 appearances with his first club, Folkestone Invicta, where he made his debut as a teenager in 2006-07.
In an interview with Margate's YouTube channel in March 2021, Liam, looking back on the start of his career, said former Thanet player Micky Dix was a big influence on him when he was being coached at Folkestone. In his time at Cheriton Road, he had two promotions and was made captain.
Liam had come close to signing for Margate in the summer of 2011 when Chris Kinnear was manager. He featured in our pre-season schedule but the deal fell through.
In May 2017, Margate signed Liam on a one-year deal becoming boss Steve Watt's fifth signing. Watt told Kent Online that Liam was "the leader in the back line I need". He added: "I have already got Ben Swift here who is young and a great talent, and feel he will benefit greatly from playing alongside him and help with his progress."
Folkestone manager Neil Cugley said to Kent Online: "I'm disappointed [to lose Friend] but it's one of those things. You get on with it. He did say he was happy and was going to stay but a couple of days later changed his mind. But that's football and you move on.
"You can't knock what he's done for the club. He's been a great servant and we have to accept there's teams with bigger budgets and sometimes they're going to look at that – not just for themselves but the players those sort of clubs can bring in as well."
Liam made his Margate league debut on 12.8.17 in a 1-0 win at Thurrock and only missed a handful of matches during the whole season. He was a model of consistency despite having several different central defensive partners including Tom Wynter, Ben Swift and George Essuman. Liam was also made temporary captain in February 2018 during James Rogers' suspension.
He made 54 appearances and scored two goals. He was voted Supporters' Player of the Season and, after reportedly turning down offers from National League South sides, signed a new deal to stay with Margate for 2018-19.
Again, he was one of the first names on the team sheet and made 43 appearances. Liam scored one goal, in a 1-1 draw at Merstham on 14.11.18.
After almost 100 games for Margate, Liam signed for Isthmian South East Division side Ramsgate in the summer of 2019, where he made 29 appearances.
However, he returned to Margate at the start of 2020 and told the club website: "I am really happy to be back at Margate, I never wanted to leave in the summer but in terms of my work commitments the training and the games were more local but I am glad to be back and playing with this squad."
Liam stayed at Hartsdown for 2020-21 and appeared in all our matches before the season was abandoned due to Covid.
When football resumed in summer 2021, Liam had moved on to SCEFL side Chatham Town but, in September 2021, signed for Isthmian League South East Division Ashford United. He played in the 2021-22 play-off final which the Nuts and Bolts lost to Herne Bay.
Liam spent 2023-24 and 2024-25 at Herne Bay as player-coach. Ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, he was announced as Herne Bay's manager. On 7.5.25, Liam was part of a Middlesex Wanderers squad that played an Isthmian League representative squad at Raynes Park Vale.
