Barely a month after securing their National Hockey League future with dramatic relegation play-off victories over Oxton and Indian Gymkhana, Fareham have announced the first of three marquee signings for next season’s Western Conference campaign.

Fareham-raised Luke Cornish will be returning to the Henry Cort club after two seasons with Loughborough University, where his goals helped the students into the Premier Division, the top flight of National League hockey.

Cornish explained: “I’m on a business degree course at Loughborough and begin a year’s work placement this autumn.

“I’ll be based locally, so will be back at Fareham, where I began lifting a hockey stick as a five year old.

“I was at Fareham for 14 years as we worked our up through the leagues and into the national pyramid, which has been a fantastic achievement.

“I’ve had two superb seasons at Loughborough, winning two BUCS Championships and scoring our winning goal in the recent final, but there’s nothing like going back to your home club.

“The lads fought tooth and nail to retain their National League status at the end of the season and I hope that I can score a few goals to make their passage a bit easier when we start again in September.”

Fareham manager Nigel Cook is delighted Cornish is returning to the club.

“We’ve been lacking a goalscorer, the absence of which was the root of our problems this past season,” he explained.

“Luke is an intelligent young lad and an intelligent young player who has been involved with the England junior set up and has been playing quality hockey.

“He has Fareham blood in his veins and we’re absolutely delighted to have him back.”

Cook added that the club will be announcing two other marquee signings during the course of the summer.

Fareham will renew their long standing rivalry with newly promoted neighbours Havant, the South Premier League champions, this autumn, but Chichester have switched to the Eastern Conference.