HGC 0 vs Bloemendaal 0

The David Beckham of Hockey

Translated version of interview - 09 nov 2009, NRC Handelsblad, Rob Schoof

Ashley Jackson was but a Dutchman. The aspiration of Paul van Ass comes deep from the heart. And HGC-luxury coach is still in the fact that he can prepare the English field hockey weekly. "Ashley is a star."

Ashley Jackson is only 22 years, but last year was quickly stir, not only in the Dutch hockey, even internationally. England, in August was European champion, is another country to take into account, namely Australia, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. "With him in Great Britain 2012 title contender for the Olympics in London," says Van Ass, which Jackson pulled a half years ago to Wassenaar.

Since then he impressed in the weekly league. As a boy of 21 he got the job Bram Lomans to replace the international corner with his deadly death and destruction for years on the hockey. But Lomans had not yet filed his stick or the public at the Rye House already gazed at the corner of the inimitable Englishman. In his first season, Jackson shot 28 times but had to hit, because he got injured, Roderick Weusthof above him tolerate the high score list. This season, the counter after eleven matches again on fourteen.

At the European Championship in Amstelveen he was, particularly after two goals in the final against Germany, the undisputed best player of the tournament. This was not just his corner, also playing his field, says Van Ass "He is an incredible talent. He has an exceptional eye-hand coordination, a very good look at the ball. "

Barry Middleton, teammate of Jackson at HGC, England and Great Britain, agrees. "He is a natural athlete. He can do everything, never misses a ball. As a cricketer he played at the highest level. There he undoubtedly achieved the summit. "Guus Vogels, goalkeeper of HGC and the Netherlands, calls him a" maverick "with his own ideas. "He hockeyt intuitive. That makes him elusive. "

Jackson was born in Chatham, just southeast of London, in Kent. There he played to the example of his grandfather and an uncle from his third hockey and three years came from the national youth team. But hockey skates went without him even better. At fourteen he made his debut in the first team from Tunbridge Wells, then was picked up by East Grinstead, a club from the Premier Division. Although he simultaneously made a career cricketer for Kent club, he opted for hockey. "That I was earlier selected for the national hockey team, the key," says Jackson.

His ball control as a teenager gave him the nickname "the Ronaldinho of hockey 'on, his friend and former teammate Phillip Coote in East Grinstead. But leading up to the Olympics in Beijing, where Jackson the youngest player selected was British, he was not just because he scored so easily. In a photo shoot with the team in the journal Esquire because of his appearance he was "the David Beckham of the hockey" called.

At no shortage of nicknames - Jackson is hot, Though it is relatively in English hockey. Jackson has a European title in his pocket, not Beckham. And even as Jackson bears the star player preferred shirt number 7, the life of a tophockeyer in southern England runs significantly quieter. Jackson may have just down the street in his hometown of West Malling, and provides a professional training. And who on the English Wikipedia searches for Ashley Jackson is all about the same landscape artist from Yorkshire, but nothing on the British best hockey of the past decades. "Most British do not even know that we are European champions," he says.

Perhaps that is changing as "London 2012" is approaching. People who experience daily around, no doubt seconds that Jackson gets the absolute top. One of his great qualities is his sense of moments, is his coach Paul van Ass "He feels exactly when something be made. It is often a decisive passje. "Only he was not strong defensively when he came HGC, says Van Ass" He did not understand that as a defensive midfielder from structure should play. We have to teach him. "

Meanwhile, Jackson is not just for HGC but also for the national teams of England and - in Olympic connection - Great Britain a vital link. Partly thanks to their new star player feel the Britons in nothing inferior to the great hockey countries, says Barry Middleton. "We have in recent years been a strong national team, with guys who play together one time. But the top three of the world always has a hockey player who can make the difference at crucial moments, such as Teun de Nooijer and Jamie Dwyer. Such a player saves enormous. That we have now. "

Even though he is still young, Jackson tilt other players in the national selection to a higher level, will coach Jason Lee. "He analyzes his own game constantly, so no training or competition which goes beyond what he learns from," Lee said recently. "He has quickly become someone to whom others ask questions about such tactics. He is everywhere doing. "

Moreover, the British one corner with his weapon the comparison with Taekema can stand. "That corner is world class," says Van Ass Remarkably, he finds that Jackson has it's own style. "He is not someone else copies. He has his corner from his pure talent developed without expert help. "

Guus Vogels can talk about them. He was under fire from Lomans years and now receives weekly Jackson dozens of bullets at his ears. Birds: "Ashley has few chances you have to score. He has a different technique, a different rhythm. Before pushing the ball takes one meters further along than others. Therefore if you have less reaction time keeper and the steeper angle. Very difficult to read. This makes it a very short wrist and may at the last moment the ball a different way forward. That combination is quite lethal. "The corner makes him a bit reminiscent of former international Taco van den Honert.

Jackson and train as if it is an obsession. Maybe not to the extent of his compatriot Jonny Wilkinson, the rugby player who had an obsessive-compulsive disorder when it came to practicing his kicks, but Jackson is totally crazy about hockey. "The most persistent and dedicated player I have ever met", recently said David Faulkner, Director of England Hockey and Olympic champion in 1988 (Seoul).

But as fanatical as he is on the field, so he relaxed outside. Birds: "Call me lazy. If the apartment must be pulled from the bank he tells how his roommates to do it. "And doing that with their own sense of humor, says one of the housemates, Barry Middleton. "He always looks first cat from the tree, but he feels at home when he takes everyone in the grind on his dry, sarcastic, typically English way."

Oranje Swart 0 vs HGC 4

And the Winner is.......................................

Thank you to everyone who entered the competition on Facebook - Ashley was overwhelmed by the response.

We asked the question:

Ashley was top scorer during England's Gold Medal winning EuroNation's Championship - how many goals did he score?

The correct answer was an amazing 8 goals.

Now the important part!!!

The winner was picked at random from all the correct answers was:

Jonty Griffiths

To claim your prize please email your address and telephone number to:

Ben Thompson - ben.thompson@macesport.co.uk

Congratulations Jonty one of Ashley Jackson's Grays GX5000 Jumbow Extra hockey sticks will be on its way to you.

Keep spreading the word and thank you for your help in building Ashley's fan base - 500 fans is the next stop!!

Jackson scores Winner - HGC vs Den Bosch

The Haircut

HGC 4 vs Tilburg 2 - Jackson Scores in Win