Initial one month loan for striker
Promising 18-year-old striker Tom Nichols has joined Blue Square Premier side Hereford United on an initial one month loan.
Nichols, who has scored a number of goals for the Grecians in pre-season, will join the promotion hunting side and is confident his move to Edgar Street can be just as successful as his 10 game spell at Dorchester last season.
“When I heard about the possibility I was over the moon,” Tom said. “They are only a league below us and having just got relegated will be pushing to get back up.
“It’ll be a very good standard of football and I can’t see myself playing much higher out on loan that the top of the Conference.
“That’s why I was so pleased when I heard they were looking at me.”
Tom had a debut to remember when he came on at Hillsborough on the final day of the 2010/11 campaign as City pulled off a memorable win and then scored the winner against Chesterfield last August, his first senior goal, on the eve of his 18th birthday.
A loan spell at Dorchester proved just the tonic to get him firing again and he returned to St James Park a different player and featured for the Grecians during the run-in.
Meanwhile two of our new batch of first year pros, Jacob Wannell and Jamie Reid, have gone out on loan to the Blue Square South side where Nichols had so much success last season.
Paul Tisdale is hopeful a stay at The Avenue Stadium can have the same effect on Jacob and Jamie as it did for Tom.
“Tom had a very good experience there last year, he helped them and they helped Tom,” he said. “They are a very good club with lovely facilities and it is a nice place to play. It isn’t too far and if you want that level of football it is a good club to go to.
“I am very much looking forward to them starting the season with competitive football and doing very well. Jacob and Jamie are both very good prospects for us.”