Exciting new Chesterfield midfielder could be one for future and present

The 20-year-old became the Spireites’ first summer signing on Wednesday, penning a two year-deal after joining from Derbyshire neighbours Alfreton Town.

As well as the Reds, the former Sheffield United youngster has played for the likes of Maltby Main and Handsworth.

His highlight reel shows he is someone who is not afraid to shoot from distance - and his statistics back that up.

This season he scored seven times and grabbed two assists in 46 appearances as Alfreton finished in the play-off positions.

And in the previous campaign he got an impressive 11 goals and one assist.

That leaves him with a total of 18 goals and three assists, which are encouraging numbers for someone so young. And his 86 appearances in the last two seasons shows he is fit and robust.

Not only that, he was named Alfreton’s Manager’s Player of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season in 2022.

And for someone so young he already has a hat-trick under his belt, notching a treble in an FA Trophy win against Leamington in November 2021.

The stats show he outscores his xG rate, averages about two shots on target a match, is successful in half of his dribbles he attempts, and is aggressive in the final third with 8.5 offensive duels won on average per match.

For the second successive season, manager Paul Cook has dipped into the local football scene to bring a youngster to the Blues. Last year it was Jesurun Uchegbulam from Matlock Town – and he has shown plenty of promise. That approach is exactly what a club like Chesterfield should be doing. They bring potential, enthusiasm and a sell-on value.

Hobson will be one for the future, but he could also be one for the present.

On signing for Chesterfield, the clearly delighted youngster said: “They said they have been to watch me a few times and that they like the way that I play - always on my toes, always running around - and that it would be great for me to be a part of the team.”

Describing himself as a player, he added: “I am hard-working, tough and I like to win games.

“I can’t wait to get started.”