Returning Joe Aston ready to compete on all fronts for Telford Tigers
Telford Tigers’ latest recruit Joe Aston is determined to help the club compete on all fronts once again during the upcoming campaign.
Aston returns to the Tigers after being forced to step down from National League level due to work commitments last term.
He scored 12 goals in 13 matches to help propel them to the league championship in 2022.
However, the Tigers slumped to a seventh-place finish in his absence in 2022-23, but Aston is confident the squad are capable of competing for silverware.
“Yes, I’m sure we’ll be competing for every honour available. I know we will have a strong roster and will be competitive,” Aston said.
Aston missed being amongst the action during his year away from the National League, but has revealed he is raring to go ahead of the forthcoming campaign.
“With my change in career, I needed to take a step back in order to fully understand my work life balance and whether hockey could fit into that mix,” he added.
“I have more time than I thought and with the support of my fiancée and family, I am able to make it happen again.
“It’s an honour to play for the National League team again.
“I massively missed playing in the National League. I missed the fans, the atmosphere, the team and the level of hockey.
“I watched a couple of games here and there when I could.
“I even popped in while I was working for a play-off game at home. I didn’t enjoy watching the team struggle after such a successful couple of years, but this is a fresh season and I’m sure Tom will have the team ready to go for the first game.”
Aston is a popular figure with the Tigers supporters, and the fan base will be delighted by his return.
He first joined them back in 2014, and was involved in the double winning team in 2020, as well as the league championship winning side in 2022.
And Aston is now relishing the challenge of providing some excitement for the supporters once again.
Aston said: “I like to see myself as a hard working, gritty player, who is not afraid to mix it up.
“I won’t be able to play every game because of work commitments, but when I am there, I hope to bring energy to the team and the crowd, with the odd goal here and there.”
