When Nottingham Trent student Tom Cursons joined Ilkeston Town from Southern Premier Division Central side Barwell FC in December 2023, it was a step up in his footballing career, which he juggled between university lectures. But, already aged 23, it seemed highly unlikely he’d be playing professional league football just 13 months later.
However Cursons has done just that – signing for League Two Harrogate on January 21 during football’s January transfer window. This latest move took him three leagues above Ilkeston’s and means he has now jumped a total of four levels on the football pyramid in just over two years.
The forward was top scorer in the Northern Premier League with 21 goals before his departure from Ilkeston, and was reportedly even being linked to teams higher up – including Derby County in the Championship.
Cursons says after being at Ilkeston for more than a year that the move to Harrogate was one he wanted for a while – even if it seemed like nothing but a dream only two years ago.
“It’s into full time, it’s a big move for me but it’s an exciting one. I left all the negotiations to my agent, I was very much ‘just keep putting the ball in the net and wait until there’s a dotted line in front of me’ – that was my attitude the whole way through it,” he said.
“There were a few teams coming to watch me but Harrogate were pretty quick once they decided they wanted me and they were pretty to the point, which was quite appealing,” Cursons added.
Tom’s notable rise up the leagues has been made more impressive as he has never played academy football and it has taken him until his mid-twenties to break into professional football.
Surrey-born Cursons was playing Sunday league football up until the age of 16 before moving to local club Metropolitan Police FC, he then had trials at professional football clubs shortly after the Covid pandemic hit, but was unable to secure a contract.
Cursons then moved to Nottingham to study Sports and Exercise at Trent, where he carried on with his non-league football career.
Cursons said: “The last year I have really kicked on, I’ve ebbed and flowed a bit over the last couple of years where I’ve had patches where I’ve been quite good and patches where I’ve been disappointed with how I’ve played but it’s nice to see that 23 years is starting to come into fruition.
“Did I think I’d get here? There’s times when I did there’s times when I didn’t, there’s times where I wanted to give up football, there’s times where I thought I could play in the Champions League – but I just kept turning up because I enjoy playing football so that gave me a reason to keep turning up,” he added.
Cursons is vocal about how during his career he has at times struggled to enjoy the game, but he says playing at university took a weight off his shoulders.
“Over the years at university you start to develop different skills that you don’t develop in non-league, with the university I was supposed to be a leader in the dressing room as I was one of the more experienced players,” he said.
“But it was a more enjoyable side of it, relative to the level I was probably a better player than I was playing non-league and it was a different challenge that brought out a different side to me,” Cursons added.
He added that his time at Nottingham Trent University gave him “confidence” that he could take into his semi-pro career. He graduated in the summer with a 1:1 in Sports and Exercise.
After time at Barwell FC, Cursons received a call from Ilkeston manager Ian Deakin who had previously managed him at Long Eaton.
Cursons said: “Signing for Ilkeston wasn’t much of a decision, they got me back enjoying football and they put their confidence in me and I like to think I repaid that faith.
“Every session was a massive learning curve at Ilkeston – you make mistakes that you have to learn from but I think I did and still will be [learning] until whatever age I retire at,” he added.
In a statement released when Cursons left the club, Ilkeston chairman, Andrew Nally, said they “didn’t simply want to sell to the highest bidder” but wanted a sale that was “best for all parties”.
Tom said that the club were “fully supportive” of his aspiration to play in the football league.
“They [Ilkeston] always said that if I don’t want to leave they won’t try to force me out to get money and if I do want to push onto the next level they won’t stand in my way – and I can’t thank them enough really,” he said.
Since joining Harrogate, the forward has made two substitute appearances, against Crewe Alexandra and MK Dons.
At 23, Cursons is quite old to be breaking into professional football says he has “put a bit of pressure” on himself.
“I think that benefits me – on the whole I’m good at handling that pressure, but there’s still room for improvement and I’m taking it one step at a time I haven’t started a game yet so I can’t be talking about what my limit is above this,” he said.
Harrogate manager Simon Weaver has himself had a fruitful career in non league playing for the likes of Tamworth and Kidderminster Harriers before joining the Sulphurites initially as a player before becoming manager in 2009. He’s now the longest-serving manager in the Football League.
Weaver’s career faith in non league talent was something that convinced Cursons to join the club.
“I spoke to him [Simon Weaver] and he was keen to emphasise that the club likes to stick to its routes in the sense that it’s come from non league and it likes to keep that humility in how it works and that really suits my style of play,” Cursons says.
The striker said the step-up to Harrogate is a “challenge” but one that he is relishing.
“It’s quick the first couple of sessions it took some adapting, players are sharper, quicker and everything is a little bit cleaner but day-by-day I feel like I’m getting a little bit closer to where I need to be,” he said.
“Personally, for me this season I’m trying to get myself in the team and then when I get into the team it’s about keeping my shirt,” Cursons added.