One of our new first year scholars for the 2022-3 season, striker David Hicks stepped up to the first team the following campaign; named on the bench for our Carabao Cup Round Two fixture at Exeter City. At the time, a mini-injury crisis had taken hold at the Lamex. Not that it should detract from Hicks’ presence in the first team squad for that trip. Boss Steve Evans was always prepared to give youth a chance when the time was right. So, clearly Hicks had made sufficient impression in training to earn himself that chance.

Hicks came from fine stock too. His father, also called David, turned out for Boro’ during the early stage of the 2006-7 season. Not that it has any correlation to this David’s rise to senior football at the Lamex. Boro’s own assessment of the player upon his arrival as a first year scholar in summer 2022 was that he had a “real eye for goal“. It was a trait that was already coming through at U18 level. It was then a question of where next.

In November 2023, that question was answered; Hicks making his debut in a Football League Trophy fixture.