Worksop team helps Jack Hardy rediscover his love for football after rejection by Lincoln City

Whether your team has just lost a vital game, going through an extended rough patch or your favourite player has just jumped ship - it can be pretty hard to stomach.

For one semi-pro Worksop player, getting over rejection whilst being part of Lincoln City’s youth set-up, was a bitter pill to swallow.

But Jack Hardy is now back in love with the game after joining the books of SJR Worksop.

St Joseph's Rockware Worksop eager to fly the flag for the town following promotion

“I just lost interest in football when I left Lincoln City,” said Hardy. “I got asked a few times to play Saturday football but I just wasn’t bothered.

“When Guesty (manager Andrew Guest) asked me to move to Saturday football last season I wanted to because St Joseph’s were my Sunday team and they are my club.

“I dreamed of making it in the pro game and I was doing alright, but it just got taken away from me.

“It was one of those things, but I have found the love again.”

SJR will play their trade in the Central Midlands Northern Premier Division next year - just one season after leaving the Worksop Sunday League as St Joseph’s.

They were just two wins away from winning the title before their campaign was cut short.

And Hardy, who represented the Imps at U12 to U16 levell, believes the club should hold no fear at the step up in class.

“It is not an ideal situation. We would have liked to lift the trophy ourselves, but it is one of those things,”said Hardy, who is a bricklayer by trade.

“We are raring to go for the new season now. We played Bentley, from the league above, in the cup last season and held our own, we probably should have won it.

“The manager will strengthen, but we have done alright so far and held our own.

“We have got lads in our team who have played higher up so they will know what it is about.

“I think there is no reason why we can’t get near the top. If we finish in the top five it will be a good season and will give us something to build on.

“We will strengthen but we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We will be able to beat teams and there will be tight matches.”

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