Soaring Sam is grasping Championship opportunity

by Sam Elliott

IF SAM Clucas earns promotion with this season it will cap an incredible rise through English football.

The story of , from Stockbridge Park Steels to a Premier League star, is undoubtedly fascinating. But the striker's trajectory could be equalled should 's £1.3m summer signing continue his almost-weekly improvement.

Just six years ago he was lacing up his boots for tiny Nettleham, who play in the Lincolnshire Senior League.

Left winger Clucas, 25, told The : “The last few years I have gone up a level every season – I've gone from the Conference to , League Two to League One and in the summer from League One to the Championship – I reckon it's written in the stars that it could be the Premier League next season!

“I think playing in the Lincolnshire League as a teenager gave me a grounding. If you get life put on a plate for you early on, you're getting big money and nice things, then you take your foot off the and think you've made it.

“I had to drive to games and training and you wouldn't even ask about expenses – it cost me a bit in the end! But that's a part of my journey, I've come a long way and I'm proud of that.”

His career was kick-started by Glenn Hoddle, who days before his 20th birthday watched him trial for his academy. The England legend saw something in him among 2,000 others. He took him to Spain where he played for Jerez Industrial.

A year later, he got his chance in the English pro game. But it wasn't exactly the start of the big climb. Signing for Hereford United, the club were crumbling. They were relegated out of the League and Clucas was the fall guy, hounded on social media.

sam-clucas-hereford“I got messages on twitter from some Hereford fans saying I was the worst player to ever play for that club and that I should quit – 18 months later I won their player of the year and they're asking me not to leave! Football changes really quickly,” he said.

“Hereford really helped me. were also fantastic when I got the move and Chesterfield really helped set me on my way. I'm grateful to everyone.

“But the Glenn Hoddle academy was always the big one. I had to move away to Spain and I would be away from my family for a long, long time. But all I wanted to do was be a footballer.

“If that didn't work out it was time to try something else. I got lucky. Out of 2,000 trialists he picked me and 20 others to take to Spain. It was a life-changing moment.”

Now it's onwards and upwards with Hull.

“I actually feel like I have been here for years, not months. I went to see Hull in the 2014 final against . I was invited after winning the Player of the Round from my time at Mansfield. I got the VIP treatment, it was an amazing day,” he added.

“I remember thinking to myself ‘I would love to be playing for one of those teams out there' and a year later the call came!”

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