LEICESTER'S Rising Star Sam Hagon joined us for a pre-season interview where he reflected on his debut ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign and looked ahead to the 2025 campaign.
You can view the full interiew at:
https://youtu.be/Z9Vy_EWjWlc?si=jbrmXDoavxzZ9wFU
Hagon admits he has taken plenty from last season’s ROWE Motor Oil Premiership Grand Final.
The Watling JCB Lions were defeated by Belle Vue in the title decider, but Hagon enjoyed his best performance for the club in the first leg at the National Speedway Stadium.
He scored six points in Manchester, before adding 3+1 in the second leg, and it’s those results which he is looking to build on in 2025.
Rising Star selections were made at an early stage of the winter, being announced in mid-October, but Hagon says although he knew he was in the club’s plans, he had taken nothing for granted.
He said: “I actually knew a bit before that because me and Stewart (Dickson) were speaking, but obviously with the down dip I had he could quite easily have changed his mind.
“But I think Belle Vue did change things for me. That was my best meeting in the Premiership. I do go well there and I’ve done a lot of laps around there, but it was still a very tough meeting and very tough conditions with the rain coming down.
“I think staying with Leicester and Stewart, and of course I’m also with Stewart at Berwick (in the Championship), is a very beneficial thing for me.”
Hagon lines up for a Lions team which shows just one change from 2024 as Kyle Howarth – a previous club captain during their time in the Championship – makes the move from rivals Sheffield, whilst Richard Lawson has joined King’s Lynn.
Hagon said: “We are literally the same team apart from Kyle, but he knows every single person there and he’ll fit in just fine.
“He’s been around a while so it’s not like he’s new to the sport, and I reckon we can definitely pick up where we left off, and keep on going!"
Photo credit: IAN CHARLES
