FORMER Worcester City forward Andy Nicol wishes he came across the club at a younger age after it was confirmed on Tuesday he would be leaving the club.

Nicol signed for City last summer but struggled to breakthrough into the first team until the last few games before the third national lockdown. With travelling from his home in Dudley, the logistics of playing for the club became too big a hurdle.

“I had already decided before the Stourport game (Boxing Day) that I wasn’t going to stay,” said Nicol.

“I agreed with Jonah (Craig Jones, City captain and first team coach) that I would play for him whilst he was in interim charge but my mind was already made up that I was going to leave.

“It was mainly down to the travelling down to Worcester three times a week, it’s so long to get there, then you train and then travel back and it was taking up too much of my life and I just want to stay a bit more local to home.

I have four children and it’s nice to have more spare time at home and not be so in and out so that was the only reason really.”

Despite not playing as much as he would have wanted, Nicol admits he had made friends for life at the club and couldn’t speak highly enough of everyone involved, from the top to the bottom.

“I felt like I was quite a focal point of the team towards the end and there wasn’t one person I didn’t get on with so to leave is upsetting.

“Obviously it’s a monster of a football club, I wish maybe I had the opportunity to play for Worcester when I was a bit younger.

“It’s a shame, I’ll miss all the players and I’ve made some great friends. The chairman is unbelievable and he’s a really nice guy and I think Steve has the club’s best interests at heart and he has the personality to go with it.

“But I will miss everybody and if I was a betting man, I’d be betting on Worcester to win whatever league they’re in next season.

Nicol believes this team has all the ingredients to go on and push up through the levels, back to where the club should be.

I think if they can get the right formula, which hopefully Tim and his management team can, I think they have everything they need,” he added.

“Above that it’s perfect, the board, chairman, staff, fans, if they can get it right on the pitch they will go through the levels.

“They should be able to attract all sorts of players, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have all the best players available to them at that level.

“If I was in my mid-20s there would only be one place I’d want to play.”