A difficult week for Bermuda national coach Kyle Lightbourne has ended with the former pro being selected as the worst player ever to turn out in Stoke?s colours.

Lightbourne, who has had to deal with frustrating indifference from national squad players, was not happy with his infamy in the club?s folklore and was quick to defend himself.

A book by Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling, entitled ?England?s Worst Footballers? ? the most inept and under-achieving players ever to appear for the 92 Premiership and League clubs ? describes the tale of ?Kyle Lightweight?.

?Sometimes a nickname tells the whole story. Bermudan (sic) international striker Kyle Lightbourne had been a big favourite at Walsall, with his goals earning him a ?500,000 move to Coventry, swiftly followed by a transfer to Stoke for the same fee,? read the entry.

?After four seasons in which the 6ft 2in tall striker failed to reach double figures, City fans would for ever remember him, cruelly, as Kyle Lightweight.

?It didn?t help that he had done so well for local rivals Walsall, or that Stoke were relegated to the Second Division during his spell there.

?Loan spells at Swindon and Cardiff failed to help him find his goalscoring touch, so he dropped to the Third Division with Macclesfield. He managed just four goals for his new club ? a poor return from their highest-ever paid player.

?Despite that one supporters? website lists him in the Silkmen?s greatest ever side ? or on the bench to be precise.?

But Lightbourne hit back yesterday, stating: ?I don?t really care if it is just the opinion of one man.?

The former pro, who played for nine clubs in 11 years in the UK, is adamant that he was a fans? favourite even if he does appear in the book.

?If this was voted for by the fans, then I would be a lot more upset,? said Lightbourne.

?I admit I didn?t have a great start to my time at Stoke and my goalscoring record there wasn?t brilliant but in the year that Peter Thorne scored 30, I must have set-up 20 of them.

?When I left, I got a standing ovation from fans and a lot of them wrote to me and asked me not to leave.

?Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but the fans backed me and I have nothing to be ashamed of from my time at Stoke ? I am certainly not the worst player ever to play for them.

?They might say I was the worst for Stoke but I might have been one of the best at Walsall.?