Fond farewell as Liam Hardy leaves Worksop Town

Hardy joined the Tigers in November 2022 and went on to lift the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup and Northern Premier League East Division title in his 18 months at the club, scoring 28 goals in 61 appearances.

The forward was a fans’ favourite during his time with Worksop and will forever be etched into the history books as Hardy played a big role in the Tigers’ ongoing league unbeaten record of 35 games.

However, after promotion to Step Three of non-league football, he and the club have decided to part ways.

“I feel gutted to be leaving but football goes on and the manager wants to go a different way, but we part on good terms and I wish him and the lads all the best,” said Hardy.

“When I first joined, I knew the club was ambitious, but I didn’t think it would pan out the way that it has done and I think it came as a bit of a shock to everyone. We knew we had it in us, it was just about executing it.

“You never know if you’re going to get a feeling like that and as I tweeted, it has been one of the best seasons that I have had in football – the lads are unbelievable, the fans are class, and the things behind the scenes are incredible – so it is tough to leave.

“The cup final at the Keepmoat Stadium is up there with one of my favourite memories with the club and to get the goal that got it started was nice.

“Other memories I have to look back on are my first-half hat-trick at Hebburn Town – the first treble of the season – which was good, as well as lifting the title at the end of the season and being part of that historic unbeaten run.

“The club’s had a tough few years, so to help bring those good times back, it is always good to be part of and those times are probably not going to end there.”

A striker of his calibre will not be a free agent for long and the 35-year-old revealed he already has potential suitors.

He added: “I have had a couple of offers and I have been speaking to a few managers, so I am just seeing what’s best for me and what’s right.

“I’ve got a little one coming in November, so it would be nice to stay quite close to home for training and matches.”