The club is delighted to confirm the arrival of 25-year-old winger Sakariya Hassan for the 2026/27 season!
Hassan spent last season at Wealdstone in the National League, scoring three goals and registering nine assists in 27 appearances in all competitions.
Born in the Netherlands, Hassan moved to England at eight years old and played youth football for a host of London clubs including Leyton Orient, QPR, Tottenham Hotspur and Saffron Walden Town.
He made his senior debut from Springfield in the Essex Olympian League as a teenager, scoring a goal in six appearances to earn a move to Hornchurch.
After loans to Tower Hamlets and Redbridge and a move to Barking, Hassan’s breakthrough came in 2021 when he moved to AFC Sudbury. His performances for the Suds earned him an international call-up to represent Somalia in 2022 for an AFCON 2023 qualifying tie with Eswatini. He scored his first international goal in his second appearance for the Ocean Stars.
He has gone on to make fifteen international appearances, scoring two goals and facing players such as Riyad Mahrez, Serhou Guirassy, and Houssem Aouar.
After over 50 appearances and twelve goals in two seasons with AFC Sudbury, Hassan joined Hashtag United and enjoyed the best seasons of his career so far, registering 17 assists and 7 goals in 23/24 only to increase his tally to 16 assists and 17 goals in all competitions in 24/25 to earn his move to Step 1 with The Stones.
The club caught up with Sak Hassan before training today to ask him a few questions about his career so far and the upcoming season.
HRBFC: What made you decide to join Hampton & Richmond Borough for this season?
SH: "I had a lot of offers in this league but I think the main attraction is that it's a big club, I've played against the club before and I know the assistant manager Max Kretzschmar very well from last season [at Wealdstone] so having that familiarity is always helpful. Most importantly the gaffer spoke to me and he knows my intentions, he knows what I want to do in this game and I think he's the best person to help me achieve my goals."
HRBFC: You mentioned you played here before [with Hashtag United], what memories do you have of that match?
SH: "The game itself was tough, I think we got battered 3-0! I remember a good fanbase, loud and a good crowd, it just left a nice feeling of 'they're a good team and club' so as soon as I knew they were interested I thought, 'why not here?'"
HRBFC: For those Beavers fans who weren't there that night, how would you describe your game?
SH: "I am an attacker that is comfortable in the ten or on either wing. I'm direct, I'm entertaining, I get goals and assists but also get people off their seats [by] bringing that excitement in the final third. I pride myself on entertaining the fans while getting results and winning, and that's exactly what I want to do with Hampton."
HRBFC: Obviously its a team game, but you're someone who has always recorded a fair few goal contributions everywhere you've played, what personal goals do you have for the season?
SH: "I haven't set the exact number yet but I want to get double digits in both goals and assists by Christmas. From then I'll set another target, but as a collective win as many games as we can and personally get as many goals and assists as I can to contribute to that."
HRBFC: You have played international football, which not a lot of non-league players can say, how do you feel your international experience has helped your game?
SH: "I think it has helped me alot, it is a big honour playing for your country, We have played against some big players, big countries in some big stadiums with massive fanbases. Playing in front of 60-70,000 fans is not something you get to experience in non-league. It gives you the experience of playing in front of big crowds and the pressure that comes with it on top of the expectation from your whole country to get a result.
When you go back to non-league and club football you can embrace the atmospheres and pressure so much more after going through it at international level.
It helps my career a lot and it is a pleasure to represent my country every single time so hopefully I can continue to do so!
Everyone at Hampton & Richmond Borough wishes Sak all the best and we can't wait to see him in action!
Welcome to the club, Sak!
Up The Beavers!