ABERAERON man Henry Jones has completed a summer switch from the Welsh Premier League to play in the fifth tier of the English pyramid for AFC Fylde.

Jones was the stand-out player for Bangor City as they secured a Europa League spot last season, but the midfielder has turned down European football this summer in favour of a move to Lancashire.

The 23-year-old has attracted interest from far and wide after scoring 14 goals last season on his way to being named the Welsh League’s Young Player of the Year.

The former Wales Under-21s international, however, admits that the opportunity to join the Coasters in the National League was just too good to turn down.

“The move came out of the blue, I knew there was interest from clubs because I had enjoyed a good season and there was a lot of talk, but this one stood out to me,” said the former Aberaeron School pupil.

“It has all moved pretty quickly since the initial contact was made. I had been hoping earn a move and this suited me.”

Last season, AFC Fylde, who were originally known as Kirkham & Wesham, won the National League North, earning promotion to the National League and they have ambitions to step up to League Two.

“The stadium is great, the facilities are really good, and there’s a feeling that the club is definitely on the up,” said Jones.

“Their ambition matches my own because I want to work my way up to the top. I feel like this is the right club for me.

“The facilities here are like a League One club at the very least. Everything is set up to keep moving in the right direction.

“I fully expect us to compete at the right end of the table. I think we have every chance of competing right at the top, and we will certainly give it a real good go.

“There has been a lot of talk about the Club recently and people are starting to sit up and take notice because of the way that the Club has recruited this summer.

“Expectations will be high from the outside too, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t live up to that and challenge.”

Jones was scouted by Premiership outfit Swansea City at a young age, and spent 14 years progressing through the ranks, before moving to Bangor last summer.

“I was picked up by Swansea when I was eight and played right the way through before becoming a scholar at 16 and a pro at 18,” said Jones. “I was a pro there for four years, but I got a little bit stuck in the Under-21s teams, and felt like it was the right time to leave to play some games.

“I went to the Welsh Premier League and played there for a year with Bangor. It was great for me, because I played every game and I also scored a lot of goals.

“The standard of football was a lot better than I thought it would be so it was a very positive spell. I won the Young Player of the Season, was named in the Team of the Year, and I was up for the overall Player of the Year too, so hopefully I can keep up my current form at Fylde next season.”

He added: “I like to play in the hole behind the striker or out wide. I try to be as creative as possible, whether that be with scoring goals or creating assists. I can play deeper, but I prefer to be further up the pitch where I can make a real impact.”