After a fairytale campaign which promised so much but ended in play-off penalty heartbreak, Leicester City’s Player of the Year, Jack Hobbs, spoke exclusively to Soar Magazine to reflect on that agonising semi-final defeat, how the players will move on and his hopes for next season…

At 21, the competitive and composed centre-back has already established himself as one of the club’s most consistent performers. Manager Nigel Pearson, a man who knows a thing or two about defending, has clearly been impressed and awarded Jack the captain’s armband for the two season defining contests with Cardiff City.

So Jack, it was obviously a very disappointing end to the season, but there must be plenty of positives too?
Definitely. It’s been a great season and at the end of the day we were only two kicks away from Wembley. There are a lot of positives and hopefully we can push on even further next season. It was a good experience to play in the play-offs and the disappointment of defeat can only make us stronger. It’s still very raw and very frustrating, but it’s important not to dwell on it too much.

Can you describe what the dressing room was like after the Cardiff defeat?
It was just silent, everybody was silent for at least 15 minutes and just so disappointed. Waggy was in tears and absolutely distraught. It was a horrible feeling and such a gutting way to lose. It was definitely one of the worst feelings I’ve had in football. We were so close to Cardiff all season, finishing on the same points, drawing over two-legs and only penalties could separate us. We put so much effort in and were so unfortunate to go out.

A lot’s been said about Yann’s penalty…
You win and lose as a team and it’s important to remember that. We probably didn’t do ourselves justice in the first leg and maybe that’s cost us, but we don’t blame anybody for what happened. It’s important that we stick together.

The team met a few days after the game. What was the manager’s message to the players?
He said it had been a pleasure working with us this year. He told us to go and get some rest and relax, to get the disappointment out of our system and clear our heads. He told us how proud and pleased he was with all our efforts.

How did it feel to captain the side?
It was an honour to captain such a great side, with a fantastic history and such great fans. It was a massive achievement and I was really pleased to be given the armband. I would’ve loved to have captained the side out at Wembley, but hopefully I can go on to be captain again in the years to come.

It must have been a great honour to win the club’s Player of the Year Award?
It was an absolute privilege and I was delighted. I feel I’ve been progressing well under the manager and constantly playing games week in, week out in front of 20 to 30,000 people has been a great experience. I’ve had a lot of support from the gaffer and Wayne Brown has helped me massively this season. It’s so important for me to be playing games at this stage of my career and hopefully I can continue to improve.

Looking back, you must be pleased with your decision to join Leicester?
I didn’t want to just sit on the bench and settle for a couple of appearances a season for Liverpool. I wanted to get out there and play. Then the manager signed Martin Skrtel and I knew I wasn’t really going to get a look in, so I decided it was time to move on.

It’s been great for my career and I’m so glad that I decided to join Leicester. I’m really grateful to the gaffer for bringing me in. The first year went really well and this season has been even better.

Tell us a bit about how Nigel Pearson has influenced your game?
It’s a pleasure to work with him and there’s no doubt he’s brought my game on a lot. He gives me little tips on body positioning, marking, tackling and heading. He’s a great man manager and knows exactly how to get the best out of players. Shakey and Powelly have been really helpful too.

And, from the players’ point of view, it’s so important that the manager stays?
Absolutely, he’s done a great job. To take the club back up from League One is a great achievement, as it’s such a tough division to get out of. This season a lot of people were expecting stability or mid-table. Not many were expecting us to challenge for the play-offs and that’s testament to the job the manager has done. He’s a great leader and is very thorough, so hopefully he gets that contract signed and stays.

You joined Liverpool at 16. Tell us a bit about that experience…
I’d signed a two year deal with Lincoln City and was just starting the second year when there was a bit of interest. I was captain of the youth team and had played a few games for the reserves, but only played something like three minutes for the first team. I had a two-week trial at Liverpool and then it seemed to drag on for a while as there was interest from other clubs.

It was a bit of a weird one really. I was playing for Lincoln City then all of a sudden I’d joined the Champions of Europe. The reserve team manager, Paco Herrera, played me in central midfield which took a bit of getting used to. I was used to just heading the ball and getting it clear and then I was right in the thick of the action. I felt a bit out of my depth but looking back I’m grateful as it helped bring on my game.

Were the likes of Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard approachable?
They were both fantastic. During one pre-season friendly in Switzerland I’d had an absolute shocker, a real nightmare of a game and Jamie Carragher came to see how I was, which was a nice touch. Sami Hyypia was top class and used to give me loads of advice. He was a great centre-half and a top guy.

What was it like playing in the first team under Rafa Benitez?
He was very tactically precise. He nitpicked with even the smallest things and I guess that’s what makes the difference. I learnt a lot and will always be grateful to him as he gave me the chance to play in the Premier League. Hopefully I can play in the Premier League again in the next few years with Leicester City and score the winner at Anfield!

Who did you support growing up and which footballers did you look up to?
I was a Spurs fan because my dad was from London and I used to be a Junior Spur. I looked up to my dad a lot. He was actually a really good player, probably better than me! He was in the Navy and always tells a story about how he fell out of a tree and broke his ankle the week before FA trials!

In terms of professional footballers, I really admire Ledley King. He’s a top defender. To not train all week and then play the way he does is really inspirational. Sami Hyypia was also someone I looked up to.

What’s the aim for City next season, play-offs again or maybe higher?
It’s a tough one because reaching the play-offs this season has raised everybody’s expectations. Hopefully we can push on and go again, but it all seems a long way off at the moment. There are a lot of positives to take into next season and we’re really looking forward to having another crack at it.

Finally Jack, what would be your message to the City supporters?
Thanks for all your great support this season. We got so close to the play-off final and we’ll be looking to go that one step further.

Whether City can make that leap in to the top flight will no doubt depend heavily on the precocious talent of Jack Hobbs; the young defender with a maturity way beyond his years and a bright future at the Walkers Stadium.