HENDON | SHINING LIGHT

Loanee making his mark at both ends of the pitch

Loanee, Ethan Light, is starting to shine at Hendon with a series of impressive displays at both ends of the pitch.

The 19 year-old central defender was signed by EFL League One outfit, Leyton Orient, from Burnham at the turn of 2023 as part of their Development squad before being sent out on loan to Kings Langley in the second half of last term.

He arrived in the Pitching In Southern League Premier South with Hendon in August and having overcome a number of niggling injury set-backs early on, he is now starting to show what he is capable of with a run in the team that has included five goals from 11 outings in all competitions.

At the weekend he scored the winner against Merthyr Town to help push his side into the top ten before following it up on Tuesday with a hat-trick in the Middlesex Senior Cup as Hanworth Villa were beaten 5-1 – not bad for a defender!

“He’s a young lad who has come in here with a fantastic attitude,” said Hendon General Manager, Ian Allinson. “He wants to be playing regular competitive football at a good level and he’s doing a great job.

“It’s fair to say he had a bit of an up-and-down start to life here; he had a foot injury, then a head injury before picking up a chest infection, but we’ve been able to get him playing consistently now and he’s responded with some fantastic performances.

“I am pleased for him because it can be tough for young players going out on loan, but he’s been a credit to himself and Leyton Orient.”

Light added: “To play at Step 3 is a step up for me both physically and technically from what I have been used to, but I am enjoying it.

“It’s good to be able to get a regular run of games in the team and also contribute with a few goals. To score the winner to help us pick up three good points against Merthyr Town was great and then to follow it up with my first ever hat-trick on Tuesday has given me a tremendous amount of confidence.

“I want to keep performing well in training and matches and keep progressing as a player and a person. This loan spell has been extremely beneficial to me.”

Hendon go to high-flying Gosport Borough on Saturday.

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