Jake Turner back at AFC Sudbury with unfinished business following Coggeshall Town departure

russell.claydon@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 13:43, 08 July 2021

| Updated: 13:46, 08 July 2021

The first signing of a new era at AFC Sudbury is looking to make up for lost time at what has become his hometown club.

Central midfielder Jake Turner was originally brought to Sudbury by Jamie Godbold and Andy Reynolds, as they looked to rebuild after relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division ahead of 2017/18.

He came across fresh from winning a second promotion with Brightlingsea Regent, having taken them up to where the Yellows had just come from, at Step 3.

Jake Turner, pictured at AFC Sudbury during pre-season ahead of 2017/18, has returned to the club Picture Mark Westley

But with the season having not started well, a managerial change was made with Mark Morsley entering in October and disbanding an experienced squad, including Turner, in favour of a new rebuild with academy players.

It meant Turner, who now lives in Great Cornard and returned to Regent before spending last term with Sudbury’s divisional rivals Coggeshall Town, only played 15 times for AFC, scoring three goals.

Asked if he saw himself as having unfinished business at King’s Marsh, he told SuffolkNews: “I’d say so, I really enjoyed my time here with Godders and Reyns, so was gutted to see the situation play out as it did.”

Jake Turner scores for AFC Sudbury against Brentwood Town with this shot in his previous short spell at the club Picture: Clive Pearson

The player, who turns 30 in November, is the first to come in under recently-appointed joint managers Rick Andrews and Angelo Harrop, following six post-season departures – the latest of which is Tom Maycock.

“I’ve known Angelo for quite a while now, playing with and against him and he was the coach at Brightlingsea when I was there a few years back,” said Turner.

“So once he took the job with Rick, he gave me a call and we discussed things and I decided to give it a go.

“It’s where I live now, so nice and local. It’s a great set up and a big fanbase, so it was hard to turn down.”

The new addition is set to get reacquainted with the supporters when they host Newmarket Town in their first pre-season friendly next Tuesday (7.45pm). Tuesday’s scheduled home game with Braintree Town was cancelled for unspecified reasons.

Football Sudbury Sport Russell Claydon