John scores with life as a top talent scout
When former apprentice footballer John Hibbs was forced to hang up his boots at the age of just 22 it kicked off a whole new ball game in his life.
John, from Hednesford, who had spent two years on Crewe Alexandra's books, was forced to give up the game because of arthritis in his knees. A former Blake High School pupil, John went on to play for Hednesford Reserves, Chasetown Reserves and Heath Hayes FC but called it a day in 2000.
Yet it would not be the last time he would be seen on a football pitch.
A few years later Crewe's legendary manager Dario Gradi offered John a job as a talent scout to keep him involved with the club.
Now aged 31, John went on to work for Blackburn Rovers as a scout before being offered a role at Liverpool FC as a senior scout in the Midlands area. Earlier this month, he was at Telford FC watching Wolves Reserves play against Chelsea.
And football is a family affair with his cousin, former Walsall and current Bury FC striker Andy Bishop, who is originally from Chadsmoor, also involved in the professional game.
"I might have quit playing but I'm having just as much fun with the boot on the other foot now," said John, who once played alongside Fulham's England international Danny Murphy during his days at Crewe.
John's footballing odyssey began in 1994 when he was signed up as a YTS trainee at Crewe. But after two years at Gresty Road John was released having failed to break into the first team.
He returned home and played for local clubs before being forced to retire from the game in 2000.
Soon afterwards he started work at NPower in Kingswinford as a computer systems analyst. Five years later Crewe came knocking at his door.
John explained: "I had kept in touch with all the staff at Crewe as I went to watch them play several times each season.
"The scout at the time was Paul Johnson who was head of recruitment. Dario wanted to expand the network and Paul asked me to come up to see if I was interested in scouting in the Midlands. I jumped at the chance and never looked back.
"When Paul went to Blackburn I followed him and then in 2007 he got the job at the Liverpool Academy. The first thing he did was give me a job as the scout for this area.
"I was crazy about the game – it was a dream job for me. I've followed Andy's career throughout and go to watch him play quite a bit. He was one of my best men when I got married in August. So I guess I'm kind of married to the job now."
