Cons making comebacks

Two weeks ago, former Plymouth Argyle goal keeper, Luke McCormick was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison, following charges of death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The 25 year old was convicted following the death of two children involved in the car crash, and will face his parole review in 3 years.

Without intending to explore the moral implications of what McCormick did, or his personal character as a man, I’ll focus on the future of his career.

Although the stopper is still very early in his goalkeeping career, could he really return to the football league after 3-7 years out of the professional game? Should he keep up his fitness levels and get in between the sticks for the bullish prison team, or hit the books and fall back on education to find a new job?

Step forward ex-convict and prolific football league goal scorer, Lee Hughes.

The 32 year old striker make 360 appearances and netted 156 goals before he was adjudged to have been guilty of death by dangerous driving in 2004.
A sentence of six years imprisonment seemed to rule Hughes out of any further involvement in football.

However, three years later, upon his release from prison, he tied up a two year contract with League One outfit, Oldham Athletic.

25 games and 12 goals later, Hughes is still finding his feet in a bid to reignite his former prowess as an first-rate English striker.

6 goals in 8 games from the forward this term have fired Athletic to third in the table, Hughes is obviously hoping to revisit some of his former stomping grounds in the Championship next season.

Whether or not someone has made a mistake is irrelevant in this issue, as Hughes was granted the right to carry on playing, and he has worked remarkably hard to do so.

Luke McCormick will have a tough decision to face as to if pursuing his football career is worth the strain. He has to rely on hard work, mental toughness, and a club willing to take a chance on him.