Faversham Town sign ex-Charlton, Wycombe, Scunthorpe and Barnsley striker

Faversham Town yesterday announced the signing of Paul Hayes, shocking many fans on social media in the process.

The announcement came just hours before their match against Dover Athletic in the Kent Senior Cup, which ended in a 4-2 win for the National League club.

NEW SIGNING: Town welcome ex-pro striker @hayesy9 ahead of tonight’s match against @DoverAthletic at Aquatherm Stadium. Come along and cheer the boys on. https://t.co/Xd3AQCPRuC pic.twitter.com/Xi1EV3uBSH

— Faversham Town F.C. (@FavershamTownFC) January 7, 2020

Manager James Collins said: “I had a good chat with Paul and his attitude is great. He fell out of love with the game a little and wants to get that back.

“I’m a Charlton Athletic fan, and I obviously used to watch him play. He has quality and knows where the goal is.

“Paul’s record speaks for itself. He brings with him a professionalism, off the pitch as well as on it in terms of how he does things, and that is important around a group of young players keen to learn.

“It’s a statement of our intent as a club that we want to progress.”

The Isthmian League South East Division side named the former Charlton, Wycombe, Scunthorpe and Barnsley striker joined Meridian VP towards the end of last year and scored twice and got himself an assist on his debut.

Hayes is an English retired professional football forward who made more than 500 appearances for 11 clubs in all three divisions of the English Football League.

 

He spent his youth career at Norwich, whom he joined as a 13-year-old, and stayed with them between 1996 and 2001. Hayes’ first involvement with the first team came in pre-season prior to the Canaries’ 2001–02 First Division campaign.

After becoming frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities, he went on trial at Third Division clubs Torquay and Scunthorpe and had his Norwich academy contract cancelled on 3 December 2002.

He also had spells with Huddersfield, Preston, Brentford, Crawley, Plymouth, Hemel Hempstead, Newport, AFC Sudbury and Romford.

HIS CAREER STATS:

2001–2002 – Norwich City – 0 games, (0 goals)
2002–2005 – Scunthorpe United – 99 games, (28 goals)
2005–2007 – Barnsley – 75 games, (11 goals)
2007 → Huddersfield Town (loan) – 4 games, (1 goals)
2007–2010 – Scunthorpe United – 129 games, (33 goals)
2010–2011 – Preston North End – 23 games, (2 goals)
2010–2011 → Barnsley (loan) – 7 games, (0 goals)
2011–2012 – Charlton Athletic – 19 games, (3 goals)
2012 → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) – 6 games, (6 goals)
2012–2013 – Brentford – 23 games, (4 goals)
2013 → Crawley Town (loan) – 11 games, (2 goals)
2013 → Plymouth Argyle (loan) – 6 games, (0 goals)
2013–2014 – Scunthorpe United – 16 games, (4 goals)
2014–2017 – Wycombe Wanderers – 101 games, (19 goals)
2017 – Hemel Hempstead Town – 0 games, (0 goals)
2017–2018 – Newport County – 13 games, (3 goals)
2018–2019 – AFC Sudbury – 32 games, (11 goals)
2019 – Romford – 1 games, (0 goals)
2019– Meridian VP – ? games (? goals)
Total – 565 games, (127 goals)

After retiring from football in June 2019, Hayes began a career as an agent. However as can be seen, it didn’t take him long to get himself back in the game.