Forest Green Rovers have confirmed the signing of 26-year-old midfielder Adam May on a free transfer from Cambridge United.
May is the fifth signing of the summer transfer window for Forest Green, as Steve Cotterill continues to bolster his squad ahead of the 2024/2025 National League campaign.
May’s career so far
May began his career in the youth ranks of Portsmouth and progressed through the academy and earned a two-year scholarship which he signed in the summer of 2014.
A year later, May was offered his first professional contract with the club, following his league debut in April 2015.
The midfielder joined Gosport Borough on a month-long loan in 2015, which began a series of loans over the next five years. He made four appearances for Gosport before departing the club.
In 2016, May joined National League side, Sutton United on an initial one-month loan which was extended until the end of the season.
He was a part of the side that played Arsenal in the fifth round of the FA Cup. May went on to win Sutton’s Young Player of the Year award.
Following a successful season in the National League, May returned to Portsmouth and was integrated into the squad for the 2017/2018 season by Kenny Jackett.
Ahead of the 2018/2019 season, May signed for Aldershot on loan. The midfielder went on to make 12 appearances for the club before being recalled by Kenny Jackett.
A loan move to Swindon Town in the 2019/2020 season was next for the Englishman where he scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Chelsea U21 in the EFL Trophy.
However, May was recalled in January 2020 due to a lack of game time. He spent a short spell with Boreham Wood on loan before the season was cut short due to Covid-19.
Ahead of the 2020/2021 season, May finally departed Portsmouth on a permanent transfer to Cambridge United. The midfielder spent the next four years with the club making 142 appearances.
He was an integral part of Cambridge’s second-place finish in League Two, earning promotion to League One.
May now joins Forest Green Rovers ahead of the 2024/2025 National League season.
What will May bring to Forest Green Rovers?
The 26-year-old will bring valuable promotion experience, having achieved promotion at a higher level, to recently relegated Forest Green.
This is useful for the club as May will know what it takes to achieve promotion and can use his experiences to give his new teammates the best chance of earning promotion, in what is shaping up to be a very competitive National League campaign.
May has a creative spark to add to this team. During the 2021/2022 League One campaign, he made 36 key passes over 38 appearances, as well as three assists and five goals.
May is a consistent performer when given game time. He averaged a 7.05 match rating during the 2021/2022 League One season, having made 38 appearances.
Should Forest Green give him this amount of game time at two levels lower, then there is a high potential that they’ve got a great player on their hands.