NEW Hampton & Richmond Borough signing Matt Ruby believes he has got his hunger back for the game.

The former Woking defender was released by Hayes & Yeading last summer, and found himself travelling a 100-mile round-trip from his Chertsey home to play and train for Havant & Waterlooville.

And just as the then-Hampton manager Alan Devonshire expressed an interest, Ruby dislocated his knee cap, resulting in a six-month lay-off.

Fortunately, even though Devonshire has now departed, new Beavers boss Mark Harper maintained the interest in Ruby and made the 25-year-old his first signing.

Ruby said: “I fell I've really got my hunger back for the game now. It got to the stage where I was travelling down to Havant a few times a week and getting back in the early hours.

“This was on top of working 40 hours a week, and the training was really starting to affect my work. I was starting to get fed up by it all.

“I played a few games for Havant, and then I got injured. But after being sidelined for six months, I am itching to get back and playing again.

“I have spent the last half a year getting fit and preparing myself for the new season, and thankfully Hampton were still interested, which is much closer for my home and work.”

Having come through the Woking ranks, Ruby was handed his first team debut by Glenn Cockerill as a raw 16-year-old nine years ago, before being shipped out on loan to the likes of Northwood, Fleet Town, Basingstoke and Bognor Regis.

He then moved to Hayes & Yeading, and was part of the side which beat Hampton 3-2 in the Blue Square South play-off final in 2009.

Ruby said: “It was a strange night that one. We knew it would be a tough game as Hampton had had a very good season, but we came through in the end.

“Danny Allen-Page, who was at Hampton last season, also played in that side, and it's a shame he's packed it in now because he was a good player.”