Teenager Lewis Martin spent seven years on Hull City’s books dreaming of being a professional footballer. But, having never even played a game of rugby league, he switched sports at 15 and is now flying for Hull FC. Martin, 19, takes on Leeds on Saturday having established himself with the Black and Whites and proving it’s never too late to try something new. He recalled: “I was with Hull City from eight years old to 15. “But I got released at 15. I didn’t get another deal and someone at FC – Matty Faulkner – said ‘why don’t you give rugby a try?’ I gave it a go and it just went from there. I didn’t even play in the scholarship because it was Covid; they gave me a deal without even seeing me play a game of rugby! I played a couple of games for West Hull [amateurs] but was awful. I didn’t know what to do with the ball. I was just fast.” But Martin, a centre-half with City, has worked hard, utilised his raw pace and got to grips with rugby league’s nuances to prove his worth. He signed a new two-year deal this week and admitted: “As a kid it was a dream to be a footballer. But I can’t complain. I love rugby. I still love football as well but it’s just the way it’s gone. “I’m just happy to be playing. None of my age have got through to first-team yet [at City]. But I’ve been playing Super League and had 11 games this year so it couldn’t have gone much better. I’m getting used to it now and showing what I can do.” On the main differences between the sports, Martin answers quickly. He said: “Just the physicality. You just have to put yourself about. You’re up against big blokes and you just have to have the bottle to just run at people. “There are some skills that are transferable, such as being able to read the game, but the physical side of it was the biggest thing.” Hull are struggling this term and are stuck joint-bottom of Super League with just a solitary win. Martin, who made a try-scoring debut against St Helens last September and has three tries this term, admitted: “In terms of results, it’s not been the best but for my development it’s been great. It’s good to get the deal and be here for another two years. I can’t think of anywhere better to play.” After a break for last week’s Challenge Cup final, they face a Rhinos side playing for the first time since the tragic death of club legend Rob Burrow. Plenty of tributes are planned for the game at MKM Stadium and Martin admitted: “It will be an emotional day for everyone. It’ll just be good to get back out there. It’s our first time back at home for a while. It should be a good game and hopefully we get the win. It was close the last time we faced Leeds.”
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