Jack Alhadeff
biography
A highly-talented, left-footed forward, Jack is an individual both on and off the pitch. Capable of playing on either wing or as a mobile forward, he is quick, direct and plays on instinct.
Principally a rugby player at school, he has made the switch to the beautiful game and possesses excellent technique and a deadly strike. He is also capable of a trick or two and takes great delight in gaining the better of his man - often letting him know he is doing so during the game!
He joined the club in the 2015/16 season, making his debut in the 2s' unhappy 4-0 defeat away to Brentwoods 2s at the end of September. The following week he scored his first OHAFC goal, finishing into the bottom corner as the 2s won their first game of the season 4-2 at home to Old Epsomians. The side struggled in the first half of the season, but Jack impressed with his skilful, energetic displays and he was soon improving his goals tally with three in three consecutive games either side of the Christmas break.
The highlight had to wait until the final game of the season however, when he fired in a superb first-half hat-trick away to Salopians 2s in Chiswick. The goals took his tally for the season to 8 from just 12 2nd XI appearances, earning him the 2s' Golden Boot award in the process. Jack then made his debut for the 1s, playing the whole ninety minutes in the disappointing 4-3 defeat at home to Radleians in April.
The following season Jack excelled in the 2s' promotion push, ending the season with 13 goals from twelve 2nd XI appearances, all but one of the strikes coming in the League. The quality of his finishing all season was of the highest order, with numerous efforts almost laser-guided into the bottom corners of goals around the League. He scored both goals in the superb win over leaders Alleynians on the Sunley Field that clinched promotion and the opener in the hard-fought 2-2 draw away to Chigwell 2s. But it was in the home game against Chigs that he really grabbed the headlines, scoring with a first-half header before tunring the game on its head in the second half with four goals in the space of twenty minutes. He even scored with his right foot from nearly forty yards out!
Jack was deservedly awarded the Bert Worthy Young Player of the Year for 2017 following his stellar 18 months with the club. And he was to collect further accolades at Easter when, again deservedly, he finished top of the OHAFC Easter Tour Weird List in Lisbon, his use of Harry Potter spells in everyday life marking him out as a wrong'un to his fellow tourists.
The 2017/18 season saw Jack struggle to replicate his goalscoring form against the better organised defences of Division Two, managing three strikes in his first dozen appearances of the season.