‘There were times last season when I was turning up because I had to, not because I wanted to’ – Jack Lee on swapping Horndean for Wessex League rivals Moneyfields

By his own admission, the centre half admitted some of the enjoyment had been lost during a ‘stop-start’ 2021/22 season at Horndean.

Niggling hamstring and groin problems contributed to Lee starting just 14 of the Deans’ 40 Wessex Premier League fixtures, with another six sub outings.

This week he will start pre-season training at Moneys as one of Glenn Turnbull’s four summer signings - alongside Harry Sargeant, Tom Price and Callum Laycock.

Lee said: ‘There was nothing wrong at Horndean, I’ve left on good terms. But there were times last season when I was turning up because I had to, not because I wanted to.

‘That could partly be down to the injuries - I had a few muscle injuries I’d never had before, and not through making tackles - or it could be down to just needing a change. Time will tell.

‘It could be that the body was telling me last season I haven’t got as many years left as I’m thinking.’

Lee, 29, first signed for Moneys in the summer of 2011, at the same time as record goalscorer Steve Hutchings.

After being released by the Pompey Academy aged 14, Lee joined US Portsmouth, where he eventually made his Wessex League debut before moving to Moneys four years later.

During his youth, he was an accomplished long distance runner, representing Hampshire at 800m and 1500m. While with Pompey, he played up front or on the left wing.

Throughout his adult football career, though, Lee has always played at centre half.

He’s also made a habit of just missing out on promotion.

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‘The season after I left Moneyfields (in the summer of 2016) they went up in the Wessex, and the year after I left Chichester (2018) they went up as well. That means Horndean will probably go up next season.’

Lee has returned to a totally different Dover Road to the one he left six years ago to sign for Chichester. At present, the ground is a building site ahead of the John Jenkins Stadium development being completed (hopefully) in early autumn.

‘Glenn hasn’t really said what he’s looking for next season,’ he continued. ‘He’s just said there’s a two or three-year project to get the club back to where it should be (Southern League).

‘Hopefully I can help them get there - it depends what the body says!’

Horndean were challenging for the Wessex title last season, eventually falling off in the spring as Hamworthy staged a relentless run to be crowned champions.

‘It was frustrating,’ Lee recalled. ‘We were doing really well, I’m not sure what went wrong.

‘Birms (Deans boss Michael Birmingham) was happy, but he could have been happier.

‘Hamworthy were brilliant, they knew how to ground out results. That was something we perhaps lacked.

‘The Moneyfields (away) game summed it up - we were 2-0 up with a few minutes left and drew 2-2. Hamworthy could always see games out, that’s why they deserved to win it.’

Turnbull told The News that he targeted Lee for his leadership qualities.

‘I wanted to bring in a ‘grab the collar by the scruff of the neck’ type of leader, and that’s what Jack is going to be,’ he stated.

‘That’s not being disrespectful to the likes of Steve (Hutchings) and Rob (Evans), but they can’t carry it all on their own.

‘He (Lee) is the right age, and he’s bought into the three-year programme, the ground development.

‘We were a bit naive and weak in some areas last season, and we shipped too many goals. We started to eradicate that towards the end and Jack will aid that further.

‘We’ve added a bit more steel and nous right the way through the spine.’

Turnbull was also keen to bring in his former US Portsmouth skipper Tom Jeffes as another central defensive option.

He declared himself a ‘bit disappointed’ after the player chose to join Horndean instead.