MICHAEL Duckworth has gone from playing parks football, sweeping yards and serving drinks to becoming the toast of Hartlepool this season.

The 21-year-old right-back has been earning rave reviews at Victoria Park – three years after he was told he would not be offered professional terms at York City.

After leaving Bootham Crescent, Duckworth went on to play for Harrogate Railway and Bradford Park Avenue and also turned out for Dunnington in the York Minster Engineering League, while working with his father and in bars to make ends meet.

But, after Park Avenue boss John Deacey recommended Duckworth to new Hartlepool manager and his old pal Colin Cooper last summer, the former Minstermite grabbed a welcome second chance to make the grade as a pro.

On his tough road back into the full-time game, Duckworth said: “I worked in a bar for a couple of years part-time and worked for my dad for a few days now and again in the yard at Eddie Stobart.

“I was semi-pro at Harrogate Railway, then went to the Glenn Hoddle Academy for a few weeks, which was good, and I came back and signed for Bradford Park Avenue for two years.

“I also played at Dunnington for a few games to keep my fitness levels up because their season went on a bit longer a few years ago.

“It took a while to get back into the game. Some boys get knockbacks and just pack up or are happy to play semi-pro when they have been released by a club, but I come from a family that is football orientated and just wanted to keep playing because I love the game.

“I worked hard and, while I always had doubts in my mind as to whether I would get back in, the game is all about opinions really and I thought if I kept working hard and playing well, there might be a chance to sign for someone.

“A few clubs came to watch me at Bradford and I went to Bradford City on trial but nothing came of that. I got a trial with Hartlepool, though, because my manager knew Colin Cooper and asked if he would have a look at me, so that obviously helped.”

Duckworth was thrown straight into the first team after his move was finalised following Hartlepool’s 0-0 draw at Bootham Crescent in mid-August and he had made 27 successive starts before a double hernia halted his progress earlier this month, keeping him out of today’s encounter.

His impressive transition from Conference North to Sky Bet League Two football was unexpected by many, including Duckworth himself, who added: “I didn’t think I would be playing week in week out and I’ve enjoyed it.

“It surprised me but I’ve worked really hard and adapted to League Two football well according to the manager and everybody at the club.

“My diet is a bit different now. I’ve changed what I do a bit but my eating was pretty healthy anyway. It wasn’t like I ate lots of rubbish and carried excess weight so that helped when I went on trial at Hartlepool. I wasn’t lagging behind anybody.”

Duckworth was a member of the City youth team that finished second in the Football League Youth Alliance North-East Conference in 2010 but, when the senior side lost 3-1 to Oxford in the Conference play-off final that campaign, only two second-year players – Jamie Hopcutt and Dean Lisles – were handed pro deals.

Both those players were subsequently released midway through the following campaign after Gary Mills succeeded Martin Foyle as manager. Duckworth believes the club missed out on five potential future professionals from that group of talented teenagers but has been pleased to see the likes of Tom Chamberlain and Cameron Murray given their chances under current City chief Nigel Worthington this term.

He said: “Our youth team was the best the club had had for a lot of years but only Dean and Jamie got taken on and they were both released during the following season. I think about five of us deserved a professional contract.

“I thought I was going to get one and the likes of Michael Ingham, David McGurk and Dan Parslow still tell me they thought I should have definitely got one but it wasn’t to be.

“There was also Ryan Qualter, who has now signed for Bradford Park Avenue, Dean, who was at North Ferriby, Jamie, who is playing professionally in Sweden, and Nick Thompson.

“There weren’t any first-team chances for us when we were in the youth team. It’s changed since then and it’s good that young players are getting opportunities now.”

While Duckworth doesn’t play this afternoon, one of his former City under-18 team-mates, albeit from a younger age group, is likely to be involved, as part of the visitors’ squad.

Midfielder Tom Platt was still a schoolboy when he played for the Minstermen alongside Duckworth, and the latter has enjoyed seeing him go on to play 26 senior games for the club.

“He played above himself when I was there,” Duckworth recalled. “He was an under-16 but he used to play with us because he didn’t look his age.

“We were 18 and second-year scholars but he just looked like one of us.

“York liked big lads back then and, if you are strong at a young age and quite good technically as he was, you always have a chance.”


Fletcher flies high in player leaderboards

WES Fletcher has gone top of The Press Player of the Year leaderboard after his man-of-the-match performance during last Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Bristol Rovers.

The former Burnley striker received three points for that showing, with Keith Lowe (two) and Josh Carson (one), his nearest rival in the standings, also rewarded as our second and third-highest rated performers against the Pirates.

Fletcher’s efforts saw him move to the summit of The Press Player of the Month contest too, and he collected the two bonus points on offer towards that competition after polling the most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website and followers of the @daveflettpress Twitter account.

To be in with a chance of presenting the January Player of the Month with his prize – a framed photograph – before a match at Bootham Crescent, vote for your man of the match from today’s away game at Hartlepool, or tweet @daveflettpress.

The Press Player of the Year latest standings: Fletcher 20 points, Carson 19, McGurk 18, Oyebanjo 15, O’Neill 14, Lowe 14, Brobbel 11, Montrose 11, Jarvis 9, Parslow 8, Ingham 7, Smith 7, Bowman 5, Chambers 5, Davies 5, Clay 4, Coulson 4, Penn 3, Pope 2, Puri 2, Whitehouse 2, Kettings 1.

The Press Player of the Month for January latest standings: Fletcher 10, Ingham 5, McGurk 4, Penn 4, Coulson 2, Lowe 2, Montrose 2, Bowman 1, Carson 1, Jarvis 1.

Goals: Fletcher 11, Jarvis 9, Bowman 6, Brobbel 3, Carson 3, Coulson 1, McGurk 1, Montrose 1, O’Neill 1, Own goal 1.

Assists: O’Neill 5, Carson 4, Coulson 4, Bowman 3, Brobbel 3, Fletcher 3, Jarvis 3, Clay 2, McGurk 2, Smith 2, Cresswell 1, Davies 1, Fyfield 1, Ingham 1, Montrose 1, Oyebanjo 1.

Bad boys: Montrose nine yellow cards; Oyebanjo, Whitehouse both six yellow; O’Neill, Smith both four yellow; Bowman two red, one yellow; McGurk three yellow; Cresswell one red, one yellow; Carson, Davies, Fyfield, Jarvis, Lowe, Platt all two yellow; Chambers, Clay, Coulson, Parslow all one yellow.