John Barker is 31... but in rugby terms he is a young 31.

The powerhouse Lydney no 8 is preparing for his second season with the Forest of Dean club and despite just being on the wrong side of 30 believes he still has many more years in the game.

“I broke my ankle when I was 23,” he explained. “I had two years out of rugby so I feel I’ve still got a lot to offer.”

That will be music to the ears of the powers-that-be at Lydney, who surprisingly struggled for large parts of last season in National League Three South West.

This season the division has been renamed the South West Premier but whatever it is called Lydney, and Barker, know they must do better.

“We’ve kept nearly all of our players and we’ve got to build from here,” he said. “We’re looking to do a lot better. We don’t like being in this league and hopefully we’ll do something about it this season.”

The fixture list has not been kind to Lydney with two away games to start – against Exmouth on 2nd September and Newbury seven days later.

They found it difficult on the road last time out but Regentsholme remains a tough place for opposing teams to go to.

“It’s a proper old school rugby club,” said Barker. “It’s a fantastic club with a very good heritage. It’s a great place to play and they treat you very well.”

It’s in the club’s interests, of course, to look after their prized assets such as Barker who describes himself as “a ball carrying no 8”.

He has had an impressive career that has seen him spend time at Gloucester Academy and Leeds Academy as well as club sides Bradford and Bingley, Old Patesians and Hucclecote.

He was with the Pats before making the switch to Lydney.

“Yes, it was a tough decision,” he admitted. “I live in Cheltenham so it means more travelling but the Pats had just been relegated and it was a rough season. We only won three games.”

While there may not have been too many ‘W’s’ for the team that season Barker’s performances were one of the bright spots and he was voted players’ player and coaches’ player of the year.

“I had a few options but I thought it was the right time to leave Pats. It was a really tough decision because the Pats are a great club and I had a lot of friends there. I have loads of good memories from my time at Pats.”

The extremely personable Barker was nearly lost to rugby not once but twice in his formative years.

“I always played football when I was younger,” he said. “I was a centre-forward or played in central midfield.

“I didn’t start playing rugby until I went to King’s School in Gloucester.”

He made quick progress, however, and was soon playing for the Gloucester Academy alongside such luminaries as Nick Abendanon, Ryan Lamb, Rory Teague and Jack Adams.

It was while at King’s that he came under the watchful eye of teacher Andy Phillips who he describes as a “big influence”.

“After I’d broken my ankle it was him who persuaded me to start playing rugby again at Hucclecote,” Barker said. “I did quite well although it was a lower level.

“I then moved to Pats and it all went from there.”

Barker also likes to play a bit of cricket when time allows.

“I play the odd game for Westbury-on-Severn,” he said. “ I’m an all-rounder. I spin the ball and when I bat I try to hit it as far as I can and usually get out!”

Lydney rugby fans will be hoping he can be a big hit for them again this season.