He may have been offered more money elsewhere but Sam Cox is back at Boreham Wood because he feels the club can challenge for the Skrill South title this season.

The likeable midfielder signed for Wood last week and is a familiar face at Meadow Park after spending the majority of the 2011/2012 campaign on loan at the club.

In his first spell at Wood he was named Player of the Season and efforts were made to keep him at the club permanently last summer.

The 22-year-old elected to join Hayes & Yeading United and impressed. Another Player of the Season award followed but Cox departed at the end of the campaign in search of finding a full-time side. A busy summer then followed.

“I spent a week with Greenock Morton who are in the Scottish Championship,” Cox explained. “I played two games there against Sheffield United and Motherwell and thought I played well.

“The coaches were impressed and I spoke to the gaffer there (Allan Moore) and he was keen sort out a deal.

“I was set to go back up there but during that week I saw they’d made a few signings.

“I spoke to the gaffer and he said they’d spent their budget and that was a hard to take to be honest.”

Rumours that Sheffield United, Portsmouth and Crawley Town were interested in Cox followed before a trial in Scotland with Hamilton.

“There was quite a bit of interest but there wasn’t much really happening,” Cox admits.

“Hayes and Yeading, Boreham Wood and Ebbsfleet offered me contracts and I weighed it up with my dad and we decided Boreham Wood is the best place for my career to progress.

“It wasn’t a decision that was based on money and I’ve taken a pay-cut. It was solely a decision that was based on my career and I hope it can take me to the next level.

“When we get our full team together we will be the hardest team to beat in the league. If we can get through the Christmas period and be in and around the top of the table, then I think we will be able to challenge for the title.”

The midfielder made his second Wood debut on Saturday and it came against Hayes. It was a disappointing afternoon for his new club as they lost 3-1 despite taking an early lead after an own goal. Cox, however, was named man-of-the-match.

“I didn’t know which players to pass to at times,” Cox joked. “It was quite emotional. I’ve got a good relationship with everyone at Hayes and it was very strange playing against them.

“At the end of the game though I was disappointed we didn’t come away with the three points because we went ahead early on.

“It wasn’t a great result but there’s a part of me that is pleased Hayes got their first points of the season. But hopefully in the return fixture we can get some revenge.”

Cox played 90 minutes again two days later as Wood took were beaten 3-1 Staines Town on Bank Holiday Monday. Donovan Simmonds scored a late consolation for Ian Allinson’s side.

Cox, who also spent two years with Barnet, began his career at Tottenham Hotspur and has kept strong links with the north London side despite leaving in 2010.

He is a regular visitor to Spurs’ training ground and has been given the opportunity by the Premier League club to coach the club’s younger players and train, on occasion, with the development squad. Cox will also be helping out with Tottenham’s Foundation as well as doing some IT analysis for the Under-16s.

He said: “I have a good relationship with the Under-21 management, Chris Ramsey, Tim Sherwood, Les Ferdinand and the Under-18s manager John McDermott.

“They’ve all taken an interest in my career and what path I am going down. They know I’m in the part time set-up so they realised that there was a chance for me to do some coaching and help them in their development.

“I was a professional at Spurs but didn’t quite make the grade. So I can use my experiences and help guide the kids to do the things that I think now I could’ve done better.”