Striker Sam Lockley has joined Hinckley AFC from county rivals Heather St John’s.
The direct forward joined Heather in the summer from Rugby Town and also counts Long Buckby and Coventry United among his former clubs.
Lockley, a 21-year-old frontman, has pace and power and “adds something different to the strikers at the club” according to manager Courtney Belford.
He said: “He’s a good player. He adds something we haven’t got yet in that he’s strong, powerful and quick. He adds a different dimension to our other strikers and we want as many options as we can.
“He’s direct, pacy and a goalscorer and he’s another player that the fans will love.”
Having started out with Rugby Borough and come through the Strachan Football Foundation, Lockley quickly gained a move across town to Rugby Town in December 2017.
He marked his first appearance with a goal and then netted a 25-minute hat-trick the following January, but his momentum was brought to a harsh halt when he broke his ankle in March.
After recovering from that, he joined Long Buckby on loan to regain fitness, scoring four goals in eight games, and then linked up with Coventry United.
Having returned to Rugby, most of his appearances came from the bench but he scored 16 goals in 16 games in a spell back at Long Buckby before moving to Heather this summer.
And Belford says he’s not actively looking to add more players to his squad, and wants the group he’s got now to be settled.
“That will be it now unless someone becomes available that we really can’t turn down. It’s tough to pick a starting 11 and a squad of 16 at the moment but that’s how we want competition for places to be.
“It’s down to the lads coming in to take shirts from the lads in possession but we’ll need every body in the squad with games still coming thick and fast.”
Lockley will have a fitness test to determine whether he can make his debut against Nuneaton Griff tomorrow night.
Welcome to the club, Sam!
