What happened to the two New Year trialists?

A former Lincoln City trialist has signed for National League side Maidstone on his release from Hull City, but what of the other player we had over New Year?

Johan Ter Horst came to Lincoln at the turn of the year to try to earn himself a loan move. After spending some time with the squad it was decided not to pursue him further, and off he went to get on with his career. Just weeks after leaving City, he signed for relegation haunted York on loan but failed to make an appearance.

Ter Horst first came to several manager’s attentions in 2013/14 with outstanding performances for Folkestone, and a three-year deal followed with the Tigers. The move hasn’t worked out as he might have wished, and after playing for their under 23 side he started hunting first team football. Hopefully that is something he has now found, although he won’t be available until the end of August as he’s carrying a shoulder injury.

I personally wish Maidstone all the luck in the world for next season, they proved themselves to be a class club with class support last season. I hope Ter Horst fits in well and they manage to finish above our shared enemy, Dover.

Senakuku in action for RFC Liege


Around the same time we had Johan on trial we also had a big lump by the name of Erwin Senakuku. He had arrived on trial by virtue of having family in Lincoln or something, and we ran an eye over him for a week or two. I imagine there is always a pitfall with a player turning up like that, they might just be the next Adrian Patulea, but equally they could be the next Ali Dai. As it happened, Senakuku was neither and we heard nothing of him moving into January.

So what of Senakuku? Once he’d failed to get a place in the English Fifth tier, he headed back over to his native Belgium, and in late January he signed for RFC Liege, signing a one and a half year deal that will see him remain at the club until June 2018.

He’s been quite a hit there since he arrived, bagging four goal in four games. At just 22-years old he is still raw, and although he perhaps wasn’t suited to the National League he’s seized his chance in his native country. He did find himself receiving a red card and a three match ban in a match against Acren-Lessines, that was reduced to one match on appeal at the end of March.

Both Ten Horst and Senakuku added a bit of international spice to our New Year celebrations, but both were quickly forgotten as we beat Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley in the early part of the year. Neither got to pull on the red and white, but hopefully both go on to have decent careers.