Jack Midson admits that the hat-trick he scored for Oxford United against Torquay on January 3 has hindered, rather than helped his career.

The striker was sent on loan to Southend in December, before coming back to the Kassam Stadium at the end of the month.

He was handed a surprise start when United took on the Gulls, and promptly bagged his first senior career hat-trick.

That prompted United to keep hold of one of their Blue Square Premier play-off heroes – a move that was ultimately to prove costly for the 27-year-old.

He joined Barnet on loan in March and helped keep them in the Football League, but following his release from United, now finds himself – along with hundreds of other players – without a club.

“I didn’t help myself by scoring a hat-trick against Torquay on my first game back from being on loan,” Midson wrote in his new blog on theseventytwo.com website.

“I knew my fate back in December or January whilst on loan to Southend. That was when I first knew I wasn’t going to be offered a new contract in the summer.

“I always played this down a little bit, hoping for a return to Oxford.

“My agent has been contacting me regularly to give updates as to who paid an interest since I was given permission to speak to other clubs in January.

“Unfortunately, we messed a few clubs around as Oxford were saying they wanted me to go, then they wanted me to stay.

“The support has been excellent while I was on loan to Barnet recently, both from Oxford and Barnet fans. But now the time has come to find a new permanent club.

“I hope to spend at least the next two years at my next club, but I’ll never write off a return to Oxford United.”