AFC Totton
WELCOME BACK: Midfielder Nathan Hurst returns to AFC Totton after seven years at Lymington Town to bolster the Stags' bid for promotion to the Southern League Premier Division.
AFC Totton welcome the return of Nathan Hurst to the Snows Stadium. The experienced central defensive midfielder, who can also play in the back four, made the switch from fellow Southern League Div.1 South outfit Lymington Town on the last day of January to return to the club he left seven years ago.
Raised in West Totton and educated at Hounsdown Secondary School and Totton Sixth Form College, Nathan originally joined AFC Totton in 2012 and came up through the Stags’ youth ranks to establish himself as a member of the First Team squad before moving on to the Lymington Sports Ground in 2015.
If his name seems familiar, that might be because he was the Linnets player sent-off during their 7-1 defeat at the Snows Stadium on the day after Boxing Day for a foul on Stags left-back Ben Jefford. But Nathan, who is 26-years-old, pleads innocence:
“That was the first red card I have ever had in my playing career – and if Ben had made a full-blooded tackle himself instead of trying to flick the ball around me, it would have been fine,” he says, with a wry smile on his face.
As it turns out, Nathan and Ben are long-time friends, having played football together as kids and they were socialising with each other in the Monarch Suite immediately after the match.
In his seven years at Lymington, Nathan made 103 appearances, which included 93 starts, weighing in with 17 goals. An ACL injury in August 2018 kept him out for just over a year but with a successful surgery and rehabilitation, he returned to action during the 2019/20 season that was ultimately cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After Lymington were granted promotion from the Wessex League Premier on the basis of points per game last season, Nathan – who identifies ex-Saint Carlton Palmer as the famous footballer whose playing style most resembles his – took the captain’s armband in the summer and he feels that leadership qualities on the pitch are among the key elements he can bring to the Stags.
“I’ve played three matches against this Totton team this season – well, two-and-a-third – and they are a very good football-playing side. We knew we weren’t going to see a lot of the ball. But as a player who has a bit of bite in my game, I’m aiming to bring an extra level of experience and solidity to the team to help the push for promotion.”
For his day job, Nathan is the Head of Academy Performance Analysis at Southampton Football Club. Working with teams from the Under-9s through to the B team, he provides video and data analysis of individual players to support their development in accordance with the tactical ideas of the coaching staff.
A resident of central Southampton, Nathan says the decision to leave Lymington was tough but he’s looking forward to the new challenge:
“It feels brilliant to be coming back to AFC Totton. I spent a lot of good years at Lymo but the aspirations of this Club have persuaded me to come back and be a part of it. There’s a very exciting opportunity here.”
A slight niggle for which he has been receiving acupuncture treatment means the new signing will face a late fitness test before he can be included in the travelling party to take on Frome Town at the weekend but his addition will be a welcome boost to Dan Sackman’s squad at a crucial juncture in the campaign.
“We are really looking forward to working with Nathan,” says Dan. “His tenacity, mobility and intelligence will be a valuable asset to us for the run in.”
By Ben Rochey-Adams
Images courtesy of Craig Hobbs Photography
