On the eve of playing for Crawley at Old Trafford, former Hereford United mid-fielder Ben Smith has been telling the Telegraph about his time in football.
"I’d gone straight from school to training with the Arsenal first team," reminisced the midfielder. "I was as nervous as a kitten. Somebody headed the ball and Dennis Bergkamp caught the ball on his foot, and flicked it back up brilliantly. I was speechless.
"I thought I’d play in the Premier League. I thought being technically good was enough. But it’s about attitude. Pat Rice was my youth-team manager. He advised me but I felt invincible. I didn’t listen. I didn’t have the dedication. If I fancied some junk food, I ate it. I saw Ashley Cole come in during the school holidays. I could see his talented and natural athleticism – and he was dedicated.
"As a schoolboy, I played against Rio Ferdinand many times. There was one game Rio played centre-half, central midfield, centre-forward and he was brilliant in every position. I knew straight away Rio would be a top player."
Smith lacked the application that has made Ferdinand and Cole multimillionaires. "I went to Hereford for the money," added Smith. "I was on £1,400 a week and a £20,000 signing-on fee.
"That was good money then, the best I’ve ever earned, a lot more than I get now. The year Hereford got promoted to League One [2008], I earned £90,000 with bonuses. That sort of money is not around at that level now; they are getting £800-£900 [a week] now. It’s the recession.
"I’m 32 and preparing for the future. I’ve done a degree in business management, I’m doing my coaching badges."
It’s a different world to today’s opponents. "I’ve total respect for the United players," continued Smith. "They have more dedication than those in the lower leagues. They have sacrificed so much. I’m five years younger than Ryan Giggs, who looks like he could go on playing for ever.
"The bad press the top players get is unfair. Wayne Rooney’s living out his young life in the public eye. We’ve all made mistakes. Unfortunately for him, whenever he makes a mistake there are 30 cameras following him. I’ve made mistakes but there were no cameras."
Smith’s dressing room is home to many human-interest stories. Yet the club have a bad name in non-League circles partly because of their wealth.
"All other clubs would love what we’ve got but I sort of understand the jealousy," said Smith.
Text at top (next game etc)
Next Game: Rushall At Home In The League On Saturday 30th November At 3.00pm