ROMFORD, UK – New Romford signing Adam ‘AJ’ Smith has spoken of his delight at joining his hometown club for the new season.
The speedy forward started out in the Romford junior programme before opting for a move to Invicta.
He said: “I started at Romford when I was six, but left at 13 as we were consistently in the B league, and at the time Invicta were the best junior club in the country at under-14s and under-16s. I also already had a lot of friends there so it seemed like a logical move.”
Because of his roots in Romford, AJ says that the Raiders were the only team that he would have considered leaving Invicta for, where he has been for the past 10 years. He did however admit to being sad at leaving the Dynamos after so long.
“I loved my time at Invicta and it was not an easy decision at all to leave a club that I have been at for so long and that did so much for me. I’m very grateful to everyone at the club for the last 10 years!”
“I loved the entire last 10 years that I spent at Invicta, but after eight seasons playing for the Dynamos I just felt like I needed a change, and the only club that I would have ever left Invicta for was Romford. I have
Smith stickhandles (Photo – www.invictadynamos.co.uk)
“The decision to sign for Romford came as a result of several conversations with both Kev (Parrish) and with Danny Marshall, but mainly came down to my own desire for a change and for a new challenge, and a chance to prove myself at another club,” he added.
This will be Romford’s first season in the ENL, but Smith will know exactly what to expect having played in the league for the past seven seasons. “I think Romford fans can expect a very high standard of hockey this season in the ENL, the standard gets higher every year and compared to how the league was when I first started in it, it has improved dramatically. There’s no such thing as an easy game anymore.”
AJ also described his own style of play for any Raiders fans that have not yet seen him play: “As a player I would describe myself as a playmaker. I enjoy scoring goals but I would say my main attributes are quick hands and the ability to pick out a pass. I also enjoy playing a physical game and am not shy about putting my body on the line for the team.”
Smith is one of several new faces to the Gold and Blue, with more signings
AJ shoots against Chelmsford (Photo – www.invictadynamos.co.uk)
“I’m very excited about the new season, having seen the signings already announced and having spoke to Danny several times, I believe we will have one of the stronger teams in this league. I’ve been a part of the Invicta team that has won this league for the last seven years in a row, and my goal this year is to win it for an eighth time, this time with the Raiders!”
Contact: dave.lambert@prohockeynews.com
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