Ex-Portsmouth youngster flourishing again after double injury blow stalled Dutch dream

The lively Leon Maloney was the catalyst for the Hawks’ outstanding triumph over fellow promotion contenders Gloucester on Saturday.

The 23-year-old scored one and created another as Shaun North’s side raced into a 4-0 lead by half-time at Westleigh Park, with the scoreline remaining that way at the final whistle.

Maloney has been in fine form since joining the Hawks from AFC Totton in July 2024, with 11 goals in 44 appearances, usually from the left wing.

It has been five years since he left Fratton Park after five first-team outings in the EFL Trophy to sign for Dutch club FC Volendam for an undisclosed fee.

Yet his time there was devastated by injury, before returning to England in the summer of 2023 - and now he is flourishing under his former Academy coach Shaun North.

North told The News: ‘Leon has been excellent for us, he works hard, trains well and gets his reward on a match-day. The thing with Leon is now becoming consistent.

‘We play him off the left a lot, but on Saturday moved him over to the right and brought in Nana Owusu to give us a bit of a different dimension. Leon seems to have relished that.

‘Leon can carry the ball for you, he’s got pace, he will get goals, although doesn’t always get as many as he should. He has played like that on Saturday on a regular basis to be fair to him.

‘I had Leon right the way through Pompey’s Academy and he’s always had the ability, he just lacks a little consistency. If he can get that then he’ll be miles better, which is what he is starting to do.

‘Leon went out to Holland with Josh Flint for three-and-a-half years, broke both his ankles, came back and signed for Totton, but was in and out there last season. We took him in the summer and he’s doing what he does.

‘He would like to be back in the Football League, as the majority of the boys in our team would. Six or seven of them are looking to do that, which is what we’re trying to help them to do - as well as getting the benefit of them while here with us,

‘Leon is running out of time now because of his age, he is coming up to 24 now. But who’s to say he doesn't get into the National League and then that team gets promoted to the Football League.’

Played for Pompey aged 17

Maloney made his Pompey debut at the age of 17 years and seven months in January 2019 in a Checkatrade Trophy match at Southend.

He went on to feature four times in the competition in 2019-20, including four starts, before leaving for Volendam.

On Saturday, a crowd of 907 saw the Hawks race into a 3-0 lead after 21 minutes, with goals from Maloney, Ryan Seager and Nigel Atangana.

Seager grabbed his second shortly before half-time to make it 4-0, while Devante Stanley also struck the bar as North’s men ran rampant.

There were no more goals after the break, largely due to the heroics of Gloucester Luke keeper, while Olly Pendlebury struck the post with a late free-kick.

It leaves the Hawks sixth in Southern League Premier South, one place below the play-off spots.

North added: ‘Realistically, we could have got another four or five goals today. We play like that most weeks, certainly when we’re at home.

‘We don’t always get the goals, we don’t always get the reward we want, we probably played better against Winchester a few weeks ago and lost 1-0. We played Merthyr Town off the park in January and lost 1-0.

‘Saturday was nothing we didn’t expect, that’s how we play most weeks. We just don’t get the results.

For Your Next Pompey Story: Pompey boss praises his underdogs after silencing St Mary’s