Lukic left the arena with five minutes to go to rapturous applause after another typically faultless appearance in a Gladiators shirt, despite a first ever streaker at a Matlock game trying to upstage him.

“I leave Matlock with lots of fantastic memories and it was a terribly difficult choice to make,” said Lukic, who joined Blue Square North Gainsborough Trinity in June after ten years at Matlock.

“All the managers I've played under have been great and I'm sure Brownie (Phil Brown) and Gripper (Gareth Williams) will turn things around here again and get Matlock challenging once more.

“The fans here have been brilliant to me and my family, and I'd like to thank them for their great support not only tonight but in all my time here.

“Matlock's a great club and they'll always have a place in my heart and I'm sure that they'll get the success they deserve for all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.”

l MATLOCK Cricket Club also had its first ever streaker when a female spectator stripped off and ran across the ground on Saturday .

A club spokesman said: “It was certainly a very hot day.”