New Devil set to take a bow as Leeds come to town
JACKSON Hastings is in line to make his debut for Salford tonight as they welcome reigning champions Leeds to the AJ Bell Stadium.
The Rhinos have had a difficult season and regardless of the result in the final round of the regular season tonight, will find themselves in the Super 8 Qualifiers alongside the Red Devils.
But the club has a global reputation and Hastings is excited to be making his Salford debut against Kevin Sinfield’s team.
“I grew up watching Leeds and the likes of Danny McGuire, Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow – they were sort of the reason I started watching the Betfred Super League,” said the Australian half-back.
“I was lucky enough to listen to a speech that Kevin Sinfield presented to the team while I was at Sydney Roosters and just the way he spoke made me realise just how highly respected he is over here and definitely in Australia, also.
“They’ve got two quality halves that I’m going up against as well, so there’s plenty of challenges, but I’m excited to put the red jersey on and have a crack.”
Hastings replaces Jake Shorrocks in the 19-man squad for tonight’s fixture and looks set to line up alongside Rob Lui in the halves.
Niall Evalds made his return from a broken leg against Catalans Dragons last weekend and keeps his spot, while Gavin Bennion is included after returning from a loan spell with Rochdale Hornets.
Because of injuries, Leeds initially named just an 18-man squad for the fixture, but have added Jordan Thompson to that after he joined from Leigh Centurions yesterday. EVERY City fan remembers the moment that Vincent Kompany’s header rippled the United net to set the Blues on their way to the 2012 title.
And for an 11-year-old ball boy called Phil Foden, the crazed atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium on that April night simply fuelled his desire to be part of it.
Six years later, the Stockport lad is one of the ‘senior’ players in a very junior City squad which is touring the USA – but he is still only dreaming of making it big. Foden has been part of the City academy since he was five, and was on duty by the side of the pitch when City skipper, Kompany, muscled aside the United defence and powered his header home, before setting off on a wild celebration.
It remains one of his clearest memories – but Foden is only just old enough to remember when City were not very good.
And his idea of ‘not very good’ was when the Blues were in the lower reaches of the Premier League – which older Blues regarded as blissful at the time!
“There was the United game that City won to win the league,” said Foden when asked of his memories.
“It was a really important game and Vinny got the header. It was just a mad atmosphere.
“I remember I was sitting at the opposite end to where Vinny scored, behind the other goal.
“I’ve a few instances like that – where I’ve fallen over the hoardings when I’ve tried to jump over them!
“I can’t remember that much, but I can remember us getting beat quite a lot and being near the bottom. Now it’s all changed.”
Foden has been earmarked as a special talent from an early age.
His old coaches at Reddish Vulcans recall how parents would stop watching their own kids play on adjoining pitches to marvel at the slight nipper who seemed to have the ball tied to his laces.
Even now, when he has Premier League and League Cup medals, has appeared in the Champions League and hobnobs with world stars like Sergio Aguero, he is still in touch with his roots. Footage of him free-styling with kids and old pals from his Stockport council estate proved popular with City fans this summer – but you get the feeling that this is an 18-year-old who is only truly happy when he has a ball at his feet. “I’ve been brought up like that – just playing on the streets,” he said. “Any free time I get, I just go and play with people in my old area. They like to play against me, to be fair, they like to try and tackle me.” Foden elected to stay with the squad this summer rather than go in pursuit of more England youth glory with the Under-19s at the European Championships. Despite the hype which has often surrounded him since he was named player of the tournament when England won the Under-17 World Cup last summer, he is trying to keep a level head. He knows there is a long way to go before he can think about replacing David Silva in the City team. “Being a City supporter, he was Phil Foden on David Silva