Ex-Jambo using part-time gig to get back on track

WITH interest from Greece, Sweden and Norway, Jamie Mole is eager to return to full-time football. However, until January, the former Hearts striker has pledged his future to part-time Blyth Spartans, the bottom club in England’s Conference North.

He sounds happy and content with two nights’ training a week and a non-league game on a Saturday. For now it’s sufficient. Long-term his aspirations are rather more lofty as he contemplates the possibility of moving abroad to rejuvenate his career.

A player with experience of the Champions League qualifying rounds would, in theory, look rather out of place at Blyth’s humble Croft Park, a ground with a capacity of less than 5000. Mole feels right at home in his native north east, though, and is thankful to Blyth for being the only club willing to take him on following his summer departure from Hearts.

He is already peering ahead to the future as the January transfer window looms on the horizon. Full-time football is a must and, if he needs to travel to get it, he will.

“My dad knows of a little bit of interest in me and I want to get back into full-time football,” Mole told the Evening News. “I’ve had interest from Greece, Sweden and Norway, so there are a few options abroad for me. We’ll see if they are still there in January.

“I wouldn’t mind going abroad, it would be a whole different ball game and I’m sure it would be a good experience.

“You could say this is a bit of a crossroads for me. It’s not a position I really want to be in but I’m in it so I’ve just got to carry on and hopefully get back into full-time football soon.

“I’ve signed with Blyth but I didn’t want to join them and leave straight away because someone had come in for me. That wouldn’t be showing them any respect so I’ve said I’ll stay till January and then re-assess it.”

Mole was released by Hearts in May and, despite training with Hamilton, Gillingham and Raith Rovers, the offer of a contract was not forthcoming. A speculative message sent to a former Hearts trialist proved key to securing the 23-year-old a new club, and he finally signed for Blyth three weeks ago. “Blyth was really the only option I had to be honest,” he explained, with a refreshingly candid approach. “One of the boys, Neal Hooks, came up to Hearts on trial before and I saw on his Facebook that he was at Blyth Spartans. I sent him a message asking him to ask the Blyth manager if I could come along and train.

“I went along and really enjoyed it. I trained on the Tuesday, then the Thursday, played for them on the Saturday and then signed for them on the Monday. It was all done quickly and I was pleased because they seemed to really want me. The chairman spoke to me and it was a good feeling.

“I’m on a weekly contract so, if a club comes in for me, I can leave at a week’s notice. Equally, if they want to get rid of me, then the same thing applies. It’s not a full-time thing.

“We don’t train on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday. It’s just a Tuesday night and a Thursday night, then the game on a Saturday. Being back in the north east lets me catch up with family so you can’t beat that side of it. I don’t mind being part-time. It gives you a rest from training every day.

“The experience on a matchday is still the same. The Blyth Spartans fans are well known for creating a good atmosphere and the pitch is a bit like Tynecastle actually.

“Obviously it’s a lot smaller but the supporters are close to you and the atmosphere is decent.”