Joe Jagger sought wise advice from his old Liversedge strike-partner Nathan Cartman before signing for Harrogate Railway.
Having enjoyed a fantastic start to life with Railway, Jagger is seen as the heir to Cartman’s throne.
Cartman is arguably Railway’s greatest ever striker. He was sold to Darlington in January 2015 after scoring an incredible 36 goals in the opening six months of the 2014/15 NPL Division One North season.
Now after four long and turbulent years, with a bit of help from Cartman, Railway finally have a new prolific striker to pin their hopes on in Jagger.
“I’m quite good mates with him and I actually remember messaging him when he scored all them goals before he went to Darlington,” Jagger told Non League Yorkshire.
“He loved it here at Railway. He has a proper soft spot for Railway.
“I’ve been a few times to watch Farsley and when I’ve seen him there he’s always talking about Railway.
“But it is hardly surprising, he had some great times here.
“I spoke to him about Railway the year before I came here. I went to Farsley and I collared him before the game and when we were speaking he asked me where I was playing?
“I said Littletown and he said: ‘you’re wasted mate, you need to play somewhere higher’. He found out I was signing for Railway this summer and we exchanged some messages again.”
Cartman was right when he said Jagger was “wasted” in the West Riding County Amateur League with Littletown as despite being only 70% fit, he has lit Toolstation NCEL Division One up with eight goals.
NCEL managers are likely to be getting ready to send seven-day-notice emails to Station View, but not many will realise Jagger is knocking on a bit at 28 and has actually been around the circuit for quite a few years.
Some may remember that he played for Liversedge under Billy Miller and then Eric Gilchrist at the turn of the decade before joining Paul Quinn’s Brighouse Town for the final furlong of the 2013/14 Premier Division title-winning campaign.
Although he did not play in the title-clinching 2-0 win over Retford United in 2014, he scored some key goals from the turn of the year.
Jagger was initially part of their first ever NPL squad, but he was released in November 2014, leading to him falling out of love with the semi-professional game.
So he went to Littletown and stayed there until joining Railway in June this year and he does admit chances at higher level have probably passed him by.
“So I played for Liversedge and then I went to Brighouse and we won the Premier Division,” he said.
“I was playing upfront with Tom Matthews and I was scoring more than I was playing.
“I went away with the school where I was working and when I came back I didn’t really get a sniff.
“I played now and then. Then they brought in Jason Price so it was very difficult to get in as you can imagine.
“I stayed when they went into the Evo Stik and played until November-time when I got a call from the manager saying ‘look things aren’t going to work for you here because we have people above you’.
“I’m not going to lie, I took the easy option back to Littletown.
“I’ve enjoyed my football, but only because it was a comfort zone for me.
“The only regret I have is maybe when I’m older will I look back and think should have I carried on and gone somewhere similar to Brighouse?
“I’m new to a lot of managers and there will be some thinking I’m 21 or 22. I’m actually 28.
“In two years’ time, my career could be over. I’m not a player who relies on being nimble and quick. I’m a player who would rather get the ball and do what I can with it, rather than run at defenders.
“Hopefully I’ll play until I’m 34 at a decent standard.
“But maybe when I get to 30 I might look back and think what might have been?”
Jagger will not be surprised if he is approached by other teams this season. He is used to this as his form for Littletown regularly encouraged approaches.
However, he is not planning to leave Station View as enjoys playing under Des Macorison.
“I’ve had a lot of phone calls over the years,” he said.
“You can never get annoyed at people being interested in you, but I’m a bit soft.
“So when people say ‘do you want to come and play for us’? I find it hard to say no.
“I always say ‘I kind of say I’ll think about it’.
“Sometimes I’ve had calls from four or five teams on just one night.
“There’s possibly going to be calls again this season, but I’m been saying to Des and some my mates that I’m not fit yet.
“I’ve said to Des that I haven’t made the impact I know I can make yet.
“If anyone rings up, I’m with Des and that’s how it is going to be as I enjoy it here.”