IT COULD have been oh so different for defender Calvin Brooks, as the determined defender prepares for his first full season as a Weymouth player.

Snapped up by boss Jason Matthews after his contract with Yeovil Town expired in January, Brooks admitted at the time he was “buzzing” to be back among his Terras’ team-mates, who were going great guns in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier League title race with the 21-year-old on loan.

“I had my spell at Yeovil and turned down another six months when I signed for Weymouth,” he told Echosport.

“A lot of people said to me I had made the wrong decision, but I was happy at Weymouth and was struggling at Yeovil.

“I was doing well in training there but never had a chance when we had injuries. I had three months on loan at Weymouth and we were flying at the time. I just felt like I had something to finish at Weymouth. Jase gave me a chance and I felt like I wanted to repay him.”

And while he decided to depart the full-time ranks and arrive permanently at the Bob Lucas Stadium, Brooks could have even opted to go Dutch.

“It wasn’t just Yeovil either,” he claimed. “I had a couple of clubs in Holland that I could have gone to full-time and I didn’t really know if I wanted to pack up and go.

It was a big decision to make in the space of a week.

“I don’t know who the clubs were to be honest but it would have been a huge decision.”

Eight months down the line and with Weymouth faltering in their bid for promotion last season, Brooks now believes that the Terras must do better this time around.

“If we aren’t going for promotion then we may as well all go home now,” he added.

“This club are far too good to be playing at this level, and the players here are far too good to be playing at this level.

“It’s no disrespect to the other teams but we all know each other as players around the area and, on paper, I think we have the strongest team in the league. I would go as far as saying that.

And asked whether he would like to go back full-time, the centre-half insists it all hinges on how he performs in a Terras’ shirt this term.

He said: “I have had time off and I do think I’d like to do it, but it all depends how I play this season and whether someone wants me.

“I feel like I m progressing and getting better as the games go on. Weymouth is a brilliant platform for it.”