Student Will goes full-time with Glovers

FORMER Cheltenham scholar Will Dawes has joined National League club Yeovil from Stratford, writes Jon Palmer.

The midfielder, below, who turns 22 next week, was released by the Robins in summer 2019.

He has been combining parttime football at Southern League Stratford with a degree in politics with economics – switching from his original choice of Maths – at Loughborough University, also working in the campus’ four star hotel restaurant and bar.

Dawes enjoyed an impressive first full campaign in senior football last season, winning Supporters’ Player of the Year and appearing in the televised FA Cup first round tie against Shrewsbury.

He still has one year left of his degree, but he will be able to combine university commitments with full-time training at Yeovil.

“University has been going well and Covid’s blessing in disguise for me is that all of my course is now dual-delivered, online and in-person, which means that I can finish my degree without living in Loughborough,” he said. “I had to choose between a degree and full-time football three years ago, but I can now do both.”

Dawes always kept a burning desire to return to professional football, but he is pleased to have begun preparations for life after his playing days are over.

“The drive to ‘make it’ hasn’t gone at all, and doing a degree in theory should prep me more for life in the real world and towards a ‘proper job’,” he said. “But fulltime football is certainly still what I’ve been working towards every day. My degree should open doors to me in a really wide field further down the line.”

There was interest from three clubs for Dawes, but he opted for Yeovil, which is the nearest to his family home in Somerset.

Glovers boss Chris Hargreaves said: “Will knows exactly what the club is about. He arrives battlehardened at a young age and ready to take the next step.”

Yeovil host York in the National League this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Bath City’s fine start to the National League South season will be put to the test at leaders Ebbsfleet today.

The table-toppers have won six out of six so far in 2022/23.

Elsewhere, Taunton travel to Hungerford, while Chippenham play host to Dartford.

In the National League North, Gloucester City welcome Curzon Ashton, while Hereford are away to Alfreton.