FATHERHOOD and a rediscovered desire to kick-start a once-promising professional football career is defender Lewis Christon’s motivation after joining St Neots Town.

FATHERHOOD and a rediscovered desire to kick-start a once-promising professional football career is defender Lewis Christon’s motivation after joining St Neots Town.

The highly-rated 21-year-old put pen to paper at the Hunts Post Community Stadium before making his Saints debut during Saturday’s 11-2 Hunts Senior Cup romp against Eynesbury Rovers.

Christon was a product of Wycombe Wanderers’ youth academy and, after signing his first professional contract in the summer of 2006, made his debut for the League Two club in February 2007 at just 17, going on to make eight league appearances for the first team.

But after short loan spells at the likes of Woking, AFC Wimbledon and Oxford City, he was released by the Adams Park club in January 2009.

Most recently Christon, who turns 22 later this month, has been turning out for Southern League Division One Central outfit Aylesbury and says the move to St Neots is just what he needs.

“I got a call from the manager Dennis Greene who was interested in me,” said Christon.

“After coming down to have a look around, I quite fancied the move. They are a club on the up and there are a good bunch of lads here.”

After playing 45 minutes for Saints at the weekend, Christon is targeting a return to fitness with a long-term goal of eventually returning to the professional game.

“I would’ve liked to have played the whole game, but my fitness isn’t really up to scratch at the moment and that’s something I need to improve.

“I considered giving up the game completely at one point because I was falling out of love with football.

“But my son was born in June and becoming a father has given me the bug to start playing again and I’ve really been getting the hunger back for the game just recently.”

Should he get his chance, Christon is likely to fill in at right-back and, with injury and unavailability likely to hamper Saints in the second half of the season, he offers another option to boss Greene.

Speaking about the club’s latest acquisition, chairman John Delaney said: “We’ve been looking to get some defensive cover in as a precaution.

“Adam Jones’ injury has been hanging around a bit longer than we would have hoped and Jordan Gent is going to be away with the England Colleges side over the next few months.

“There’s no point bringing in people unless they are better – or have the potential to be better – than what you already have and Lewis, although he isn’t fit, comes in with a decent pedigree.”