Ashley Jackson underlined his amazing ability to juggle two elite sports – hockey and ice hockey – in the same season when he was named this month in The Pro Hockey News NIHL South All-Star team.
Jackson, who initially opted out of England Hockey’s national programme and continues to be sidelined, played for Kent side Invicta Dynamos alongside his hockey duties for East Grinstead since returning from the Rio Olympics.
The 29-year-old also played in the Hockey India League for four weeks in January and February.
But that didn’t deter coaches and senior players from recognising his sizzling forward skills after a vote was cast by every team in the UK’s NIH League South.
The panel said: “The smiling field hockey GB international brought his stardust to the ice for the Dynamos, especially in the first half of the campaign.
“A fantastic athlete with seemingly an attitude to match, Jackson galvanised the Dynamos, in incredibly his first full season at this level despite his age of 29.”
It is still not certain when, or if, Jackson will return to the England and GB set up after previously announcing that he would remain on the programme for Tokyo 2020 following Team GB’s ninth place in Rio.
“I just want to get cracking and make things right,” he told The Hockey Paper in November.
However, it is understood that despite returning to Bisham Abbey for fitness sessions, the coaching staff have yet to admit if the midfielder will return to international hockey.
The men’s side are currently playing in Malaysia.
