Defensive Pair Commit to Hednesford

Two Pitmen re-sign.

Hednesford Town have announced that centre-back Lewis Ludford-Ison and left-back Carter Lycett have both signed new contracts to retain their services for the forthcoming 2021/22 Pitching In Southern Football League Premier Division Central season.

Ludford-Ison, 22, joined the Pitmen in January 2021 from then-Midland League Premier Division side Coventry United.

Coventry-born, he joined his local team United as a youngster in 2016 after spending time at the Gordon Strachan Football Academy and made several appearances in the Midland League during the season, attracting interest from several professional clubs in the process.

In July 2017, he signed a one-year deal with then-League One side Bristol Rovers and joined their academy side.

His first season barely got started, however, after he suffered a serious ACL injury whilst playing for Rovers' reserves when he was on the cusp of the first team.

Despite a long lay-off recovering, he was offered a one-year extension by the Pirates in the summer of 2018.

After failing to make the breakthrough at the Memorial Stadium during the following season, he was one of several players released by the club in May 2019, returning to his West Midlands roots and linking up with Hednesford`s league rivals Nuneaton Borough. However, he elected to re-join Coventry United the following month without making an appearance for Boro.

He was an ever-present for United in the 2019/20 season before the season was brought to a halt and subsequently voided in April 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After agreeing to remain at Coventry for the 2020/21 season, he was again an ever-present at the Butts Park Arena with 11 starts until the season was once again brought to a halt due to the pandemic in November 2020.

Lycett is a Cannock-born former England Schoolboy international who came through the ranks at Hednesford.

He first broke through making his first-team debut for the Pitmen in 2019/20.

Manager Keenen Meakin-Richards told his club`s website: “We as a management team are delighted to agree such deals with such talented guys. Their passion, belief and execution is exactly the fit we seek to move the club forwards.

“We know they will be a big part of the forthcoming season and will assist us in delivering what we aspire to achieve.

“It’s great to know we have a solid structure developing which we can continue to develop the team around. We cannot wait for this season to start and for all the hard work everyone’s putting in to start speaking for itself”.

Hednesford Town Web Site