FORMER Didcot Town star Jack King has returned to the club as a coach.

The 36-year-old made more than 150 appearances for the Railwaymen before going on to represent Preston North End, Scunthorpe United and Stevenage in the English Football League.

King retired from playing in 2020 and returned to his Dad’s building company in nearby Harwell, where he worked part-time earlier in his career.

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And the former Oxford United youngster has now gone full circle on the pitch, joining Jamie Heapy’s coaching team ahead of Didcot's 2-0 win at Fairford Town in Saturday's pre-season friendly.

Manager Heapy said: “His knowledge and experience will be a real asset to myself and the team.

“Jack has played at the highest level but also knows the non-league circuit well.

“It’s great that he wants to give something back to his local club where his adult career began. It just shows the type of person he is.”

King has stayed in touch with his roots since leaving Didcot in 2009 and raised £340 for the club at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ex-professional auctioned off an old Preston shirt signed by the squad after they beat Swindon Town 4-0 in the 2015 Sky Bet League One play-off final, with former teammate Alan Browne buying the memorabilia.

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King was in the youth set-ups at Oxford United and then Swansea City as a teenager, before enjoying two spells at Didcot either side of 15 months at Brackley Town.

After promotions to the Blue Square Bet South and Blue Square Bet Premier with Farnborough and Woking respectively, he joined Preston in summer 2012.

King scored ten goals in 102 appearances during a three-year spell at Deepdale, winning the play-off final in his last season, and stayed in League One with a move to Scunthorpe.

He featured regularly for The Iron, before racking up more than 70 games in two campaigns with Stevenage.

King spent two seasons in the National League with Ebbsfleet United before hanging up his boots.