by Nick Lough
ACCRINGTON STANLEY starlet Tom Davies insists he never gave up on his dream of being a pro footballer – two years on from combining playing the beautiful game with his day job as a greenkeeper at a golf course!
The 23-year-old ex-Manchester United trainee was offered a football scholarship at Northumbria University after impressing both on the pitch with Runcorn Town and in sixth form at school. He then turned out for Team Northumbria in Step 6 of Non-League football.
“When I was young I always wanted to be a professional footballer, maybe I thought I'd never get the opportunity so I did my A-levels and went up to Northumbria for uni,” he said.
“I played up there during my three years, and when I graduated I came back home and got signed by FC United of Manchester.
“I was still living at home, and one of my cousins was a recruitment officer and he was just sorting me out with any little jobs I could do.
“I worked on the phones doing telemarketing, I worked for a local business and I even worked as a greenkeeper at my local golf club!”
However, after starring for the former Evo-Stik Northern Premier champions, Davies was signed on an 18-month deal by Fleetwood Town and was immediately loaned back to the Manchester club until the end of the season.
In the 2014-15 campaign Davies failed to make a single appearance for the Cod Army before his release in the summer, something that deeply disappointed the Warrington-born defender.
“I've got no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have looked out of place in that Fleetwood team, even if it was my first pro club,” he added.
“They had a lot of experienced centre-halves such as Stephen Jordan, Mark Roberts and Nathan Pond, but that's no excuse, I do feel I would have fitted in given the chance.
“I had to take the risk as it was my break into League football, but I wouldn't be where I am now without Fleetwood.”
And the talented youngster has been a crucial figure in the Stanley defence that has them within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots – and Davies believes he and his team-mates are good enough to clinch promotion.
“I've been very happy with my performances this season and from the moment I first spoke to John Coleman in the summer I knew this was the right place for me,” he said.
“We have a young squad and that made it easy for me to settle in, but they are a talented bunch and even though we get touted to go down every year, this season there isn't anyone who has really troubled us too much.
“We are more confident than ever we can finish inside the top three.”
