Hughes Adds Youth & Experience To Squad

New and former players join Hayes & Yeading.

Paul Hughes, manager of Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division South club Hayes & Yeading United, has added further players to his squad for the forthcoming campaign, bringing in both experience and youth to the group.

Central defender Azeez Alabi, striker Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade, Hassan Jalloh and Christian Smith have all joined the club for 2021/22.

Twenty-one-year-old striker Soyemi-Ololade joins Hayes & Yeading from Southern Counties East League side Fisher FC after impressing Hughes during pre-season where he netted a brace against Westfield.

He has also spent time at college in the United States where he played for the East Flordia State Titans and prior to this represented Essex schools at under-18 level and has also played for Essex Senior Leaguers Woodford Town.

Alabi is a 24-year-old powerfully built central defender who joined Hayes & Yeading from Combined Counties League Premier Division side Knaphill.

Prior to joining Knaphill, he had spells with Thamesmead Town, Aylesbury FC, Benfleet, Canvey Island and Northwood, for whom he played against United in a 2019 Middlesex Charity Cup tie at Northwood Park.

Both Soyem-Ololade and Alabi will both be dual registered with Isthmian League South Central Division side Westfield at the start of the season to get some regular first-team football under their belts.

Jalloh returns to Hayes & Yeading for a third time from Southern Premier Division Central side Royston Town.

The 22-year-old forward had joined the Crows in December 2020 having re-joined Hayes & Yeading in October 2019.

He started the previous campaign with Hayes prior to moving up to the National League with Havant & Waterlooville.

He has also played for AFC Dunstable, Sittingbourne, East Grinstead Town, Beckenham Town and Greenwich Borough.

Another returnee is experienced midfielder Christian Smith.

The 33-year-old re-joins from Hampton & Richmond Borough, where he had been since September 2020 after signing from Vanarama National League South rivals Dulwich Hamlet.

He had moved to Champion Hill from Wealdstone in June 2019.

He joined the Stones in November 2018 from National League side Maidenhead United.

The versatile player became popular with York Road regulars for his tough-tackling style since signing for the Magpies in November 2015.

He scored the first of his 8 goals in the Stripes on debut against Bideford, making 59 starts and appearing on the substitutes bench on a further 79 occasions, including the memorable 3-0 success at Margate which saw Maidenhead crowned National League South champions in April 2017.

Much travelled, after starting his career with Port Vale, he moved on to have spells with Scottish side Clyde, Wrexham, York City, Chester FC, Nantwich Town, AFC Telford United, Chelmsford City and Hayes & Yeading as well as a host of loans.

Two players have re-signed for 2021/22 – Sanmi Odelusi and Rico Greco.

Odelusi is a 28-year-old midfielder or striker who joined Hayes & Yeading at the beginning of February 2020 from Romford.

Greco, 19, moved to the SKYex Community Stadium last summer from Vanarama National League side Barnet.

Meanwhile, youngster Ben Bell has also been added to the squad depth from the under-18 squad and he will be dual registered with Combined Counties League Division One outfit Hillingdon Borough to get some first-team experience.

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