Joining from Forest Green Rovers at the end of January for an undisclosed fee, Mark Beesley is a skilful and intelligent forward who can play up front or 'in the hole'.

His career began as a trainee at Preston North End, where he made a couple of substitute appearances for the Championship club, but he blossomed after moving on to Chester City in 2000, where he played and scored regularly in the Conference for two seasons.

A change of manager saw him loaned to Southport before moving south to join Hereford in December 2003, then Forest Green the following summer. He was a first team regular until April 2005 when he suffered a cruciate ligament injury and was sidelined for nine months. He struggled to break back into the first team and had a loan spell at Lancaster, but when Jim Harvey became Forest Green manager Mark's career took an upturn again and by the time Cambridge United's bid was accepted in January 2008 he had already scored ten goals in the league and set up many for leading scorer Stuart Fleetwood (including a hat-trick against the U's!)

Finishing the season with a further seven goals in United colours, 'Bees' signed a new contract to 2010 but this season was curtailed in March by a hip operation that has ruled him out for the rest of the season.