John Paul Kissock hopes early season slip-ups do not cost Whitehawk their promotion dream.

But, after a few roller coaster years up and down the divisions, the former Everton superkid is ready for anything in the final push.

Kissock, born and bred on Merseyside, was tempted south by his former Macclesfield boss Steven King.

He has been pleasantly surprised by what he has found on the eastern fringes of Brighton.

Now, with Hawks on the brink of the play-offs, the skilful little midfielder – dubbed the non-league Messi by fans at Macclesfield – has revealed how their style of play makes him feel at home, 200 miles from the Mersey.

A win at home to Hemel Hempstead today could be enough to secure a play-off berth. But Kissock, back from a two-game ban, reckons they could have been pushing for top spot.

He said: “We lost a couple of games at the beginning of the season and that might have cost us. But it was a brand new team put together and it has taken a while to gel.

“If we had started better we would have had a good chance of winning the league.

“But I love it here at Whitehawk. I’m just going to see what happens.

“I’ve played for Steve before and his philosophy is pass and move.

“He likes to play football the right way, as people put it, and it’s nice to play in.

“Steve signed me for Macclesfield and he gave me the call again when he got down here. It’s a cracking little club. I love it here, from the owners to the fans and the people at the club.

“I think they want to be in the Football League.”

Kissock has played in the Scottish Premier League for Gretna and Hamilton, League One for Oldham, League Two for Accrington and the Conference for Macclesfield, Southport and Luton.

But he admits a big part of his footballing heart remains with Everton, the club he joined as a young boy.

He made it all the way through the youth ranks to within touching distance of the first team, appearing in friendlies, going away in squads for Premier League and European games and even being named as substitute.

But he never quite got on for his competitive debut and he admitted he was heartbroken when he was let go.

He is able to look back on the experience a bit more positively now.

“I’m a big Everton fan and I had a great time there,” he told The Argus.

“A lot of people might find this funny but I think in football it can come down to luck.

“Don’t get me wrong, there were some fantastic players at Everton.

“But, as a young lad who had been there for 12 years to try and push through, I think you need that bit of luck or someone to believe in you.

“Maybe I never had that but no excuses – everybody has got a hard luck story.”

At Everton, the late Gary Ablett was the man to guide Kissock through part of his education.

“Gary was brilliant with me,” Kissock said of the former defender who died of cancer three years ago.

“He left just before I got into the first team.

“He was someone I looked up to as a really good man.

“It was heartbreaking what happened to him. He had played the game and knew when to put his arm around you or when to kick you up the backside.

“I loved him to bits. He was a really big influence to me.”

Kissock would love to progress back to league football.

But a lot will be decided in the coming weeks as Hawks strive to make the biggest leap in their history.

“I’m still young,” he said. “I don’t know what will happen in the future.

“For now I’m fighting for promotion.”