74-goal forward returns to the Beacon to further bolster the Robins attacking options
Six years after his most recent appearance for Hassocks, Nathan Miles will pull on a Robins shirt again after completing a move back to the Beacon from Shoreham.
The popular forward scored 74 goals in 211 appearances for Hassocks between 2009 and 2017, leaving him seventh in the all-time scorers list behind Phil Gault, Pat Harding, James Laing, Antony Hibbert, Robbie Kitchen and Phil Johnson.
Miles came through the youth system at the Beacon and was part of the Under 18s side who won the Southern Combination League Cup in 2008.
He made his first team debut in the following 2008-09 season with his first goal in Hassocks colours coming in 2009-10 in a 3-3 home draw against Crawley Down Gatwick.
Miles followed that up by netting as the Robins secured a rare win away at Arundel, hammering the Mullets 4-1 to secure Sussex County League Division One survival with six games still to spare.
Another two goals from 16 appearances followed during the 2010-11 campaign, leaving Miles on four from 38 matches going into 2011-12.
That proved to be a breakthrough year for the striker, who formed a phenomenal partnership with Gault. Between them, the duo plundered 52 goals in all competitions as Mickey Jewell led Hassocks to their highest ever league finish of fourth.
Miles contributed 18 to that total, including an incredible run of form through the autumn in which he scored 12 times from 13 appearances as part of a 16 game unbeaten run.
2012-13 proved to be even more prolific for Miles. He hit a career best of 26 and Gault contributed 33 as Hassocks finished the campaign just three goals shy of breaking a century in the league for the first time.
10 of Miles’ 2012-13 goals came in the final 10 matches, including a four-goal haul in a 6-1 win over Crowborough Athletic.
There was a brace as part of a mesmerising display which gave Hassocks local bragging rights by beating St Francis Rangers 3-2 in the Mid Sussex Derby.
The goal return of Miles only told half the story, however. He also proved the perfect foil for Gault, creating plenty of the goals which helped his strike partner become the Robins highest ever scorer in February 2014.
Now with a reputation as one of the best forwards in Sussex, Miles turned down offers from other clubs to remain with Hassocks. That made him a firm fan favourite with the Beacon faithful.
The 2013-14 season saw Miles begin to suffer with the injury problems which would blight him over the next few years. He played 16 times but still managed to contribute eight goals.
With Gault departing to Horsham YMCA, Miles and Johnson reformed their successful Under 18s partnership at first team level in 2014-15.
Miles scored seven times in 22 appearance and ably supported Johnson, whose 26 goals went a long way towards helping the Robins avoid relegation.
Further injuries restricted Miles to 11 games in 2015-16, 21 in 2016-17 and six in 2017-18. Those campaigns returned four, six and one goal respectively.
Miles scored for Hassocks for the final time in a 3-2 home defeat against Newhaven in August 2017 before stepping back from senior football.
He remained out of the game until a few weeks into the current campaign, when former Robins teammate Michael Death tempted Miles from semi-retirement to sign for Shoreham.
Miles played for the Musselmen last month as they were beaten 3-1 by Hassocks in what was his first appearance at the Beacon for six years. There will now hopefully be many more to come. Welcome back, Nathan.
