"It feels good to back!" That was how Alex Reid summed up his mood after scoring a debut hat-trick for Wealdstone following his loan move from Latics.

The striker, who has struggled to work his way into Micky Mellon's first team plans at Boundary Park, joined the National League strugglers last week on a deal until January 5, 2025.

He made an instant impact, scoring three of Wealdstone's four goals in their 4-1 win over Gosport Borough in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round.

And the 29-year-old said it went some way to atoning for a difficult 12 months or so.

"It's my first start since November 2023," Reid explained.

"I've been through a lot, I've been suspended, I've not played a lot, but it feels good to be back out there, playing, scoring, winning games, in the hat for the next round. I'm buzzing."

Reid has barely featured for Latics since being suspended by the club on Boxing Day last year following a social media post issued on Christmas Day, for which Harrison McGahey was also stripped of the vice captaincy.

There was an internal investigation after Reid posted a short video of the training ground dressing room on December 25 with the caption "Merry Xmas" accompanied by a laughing emoji, while in the background a voice could be heard saying "Why are we here?".

McGahey returned to the squad, but Reid, who served a seven-day suspension over the incident, did not make a first team appearance again until August this year, as a substitute in the season opener at home to Braintree, and away at Aldershot.

He came off the bench to score his first goal in almost a year in the National League Cup win over Stoke City Under 21s earlier this month.

Alex Reid's first goal in almost a year came against Stoke City U21sAlex Reid's first goal in almost a year came against Stoke City U21s (Image: Phill Smith)

But with first team opportunities looking increasingly limited he joined Wealdstone on loan last week, and proved an instant hit.

Of his tie-winning treble at the weekend, Reid said: "When I came in the gaffer said he just wants a striker that's going to be in the box in front of the goal and it's a striker's dream to see it hit off the post when you're a yard out just to tap it in.

"The second one, he made a mistake on the pass back and I took it round the keeper. It's just anticipating, just getting my sharpness back again, sniffing out those chances.

"The third one, the penalty, it's probably the first time I've scored a penalty for about four attempts. I was buzzing to get that one."

He added: "My aims are to play as many minutes as I can. I've not played any games really, I've not started any games since last November; score as many goals as I can, if I can get to double figures by January then we're in a good position, and to just win games of football for the team.

"I've played against Wealdstone a few times and it's just been missing that little edge where we're well in games and keeping possession with some great players, it's just turning that into wins.

"As stupid and basic as it sounds the manager just wants me to be arrogant, to want to score goals, to go out there and feel like I should be scoring goals and just to believe in myself, get that sharpness back and that feeling where I want to score goals, I want to come off the pitch and have two or three goals and keep going."