GARY TAYLOR-FLETCHER: Clubs offered money to me then went back on their word... these are the real world struggles players outside the Premier League face

Published: 01:30 EST, 2 October 2013 | Updated: 08:13 EST, 2 October 2013

Gary Taylor-Fletcher is a forward who signed for Leicester City in September after four months without a club. The former Blackpool man realised his dream of playing in the Premier League after a journey from non-League Northwich Victoria via Leyton Orient, Dagenham & Redbridge, Hull City and Huddersfield Town. In this Footballers' Football Column 32-year-old Taylor-Fletcher lifts the lid on the difficulties players outside the top flight face.

I was panicking right through the summer until I finally signed for Leicester City in September. If you haven't got a club there are no wages coming in. There are bills to pay. You've got to try and remain positive and keep your fitness up as best you can while waiting for that call.

It was a huge relief to get underway for my new club.

The whole episode was so frustrating. At the end of last season Blackpool made me an offer I didn't agree with. It was under their terms and I didn't want to sign it.

It was all about trying to get someone to commit to the right deal. The security is more important than the money coming in. I spoke to Blackpool a few times and tried to get it towards my favour a little more. The way they word the options is that at the end of the year you have to have a pay cut.

Back so soon: Gary Taylor-Fletcher made his Leicester debut at Blackpool

I was trying to get them to change it so that when I played so many games I automatically get the same deal. They wouldn't have that, but at Leicester I've managed to secure it.

They have faith in me. If I play those games I get an extra year. That was a big point for me. 

A lot of clubs were interested in me but needed to sell players first. It was disappointing not to have a club during the first weekend of the season. I was thinking that I should be out there playing.

Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton and Millwall rang me to go down and train with them for a week. They basically said, 'We've got this contract offer for you but want to see you train'. 

When arriving there the offer ends up being less than they've originally said or agreed. It seemed to be like that all the time.

They say we've got this amount of money available. Chairmen then change their minds, managers get under pressure. Things change and that's happened to me quite a bit. Unfortunately it was during a summer when Financial Fair Play came in. A lot of clubs are using that to their advantage.

They're offering less and can't afford what they thought they could.

The power is coming back to the clubs a little bit. They're trying to balance the books a bit more. A few seasons ago they'd take a risk for a year or two and really push the boat out to try to get promoted to the promised land of the Premier League.

Chairmen are getting a bit wary now. Can they overspend? I don't think they can any more. 

The clubs will hold more power. It'll start to even out.

Thankfully Leicester have always been honest. They needed to move players on but remained interested. I got the call, came in and it went from there.

I had four weeks with Sheffield Wednesday and a week each with Charlton and Millwall. I've had a good six weeks training football-wise, but it's the matches you miss.

The worst thing was that I missed the first two weeks of proper pre-season running. It does take a long time to get that back in your legs.

I've played in the Conference and the lower leagues and wouldn't be afraid to do that again. If someone wants to pay me to play, I'll do it.

Ready: Taylor-Fletcher admitted he has struggled for fitness after missing the first fortnight of pre-season

My rise was unbelievable. I was 17, at college, and playing pub football. I was doing my A-levels, did well for the college team and got into England Schools.

They said to me that I needed to be playing at a better level and to look after myself.

I was playing the proper Holland Under 18s. So I rang Northwich Victoria up to ask if I could play for their youth team. I played two games for them and was promoted to the first team.

Big break: Taylor-Fletcher's career began to take off at Lincoln City in 2003

Stepping stones: Huddersfield signed the then-midfielder on a free transfer

Indebted: Taylor-Fletcher talks of the impact Keith Alexander had on his career

From there it took off. Keith Alexander came in and gave me my big chance. I can't thank him enough. In the first 20 games I scored 16 goals. A few clubs were interested and Stoke City put an offer in for me.

Northwich didn't want to sell me, but I went on loan to Hull. That was a really good experience to see what it was like to be a full-time footballer. I was only used to two nights a week.

I then didn't have the best of times at Leyton Orient after signing for them. I didn't really fit before Alexander took me to Lincoln. He really believed in me.

Once I got to Lincoln that was it. 

Every two years I took a stepping stone and proved that I could do it in each division. I went to Huddersfield in League One and then Blackpool bought me when they were promoted to the Championship in 2007.

It was 10 years before I got to that level but I had to prove to myself that I was good enough. When we got to the Premier League it was one of those.

Oh my God: are we going to get battered every week? Are we going to get the lowest points ever?

Dive! Enjoying his time at Huddersfield, Taylor-Fletcher celebrates equalising against Chelsea in the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge (above) and chases down Eidur Gudjohnsen

In the end I surprised myself when playing at the top. You could tell the real top-class players were head and shoulders above, but against everyone else I felt I was just as good. I deserved to be there. Doing the double over Liverpool - my boyhood team - was magnificent.

It was only one year but nobody can take that away from me. I realised my dream. When you get told as a young lad that you're not good enough you doubt yourself. The journey I had meant I had a bit more determination than others. I was always having to prove myself.

Take off: He continued to rise through the divisions with Blackpool

Top flight: Promotion to the Premier League in 2010 saw Taylor-Fletcher realise his dream

Highlight: Taylor-Fletcher scored for Blackpool at Old Trafford but admitted his time at the club had gone stale

Sometimes when you're at a club for a long time you go a bit stale. That happened to me at Blackpool. I needed a freshness. That was the main reason for wanting to get away. I was saying to my wife recently that I've got that hunger back. That's helping me.

It's not too late to play in the Premier League again. We've got a good squad here and we're aiming for promotion. This is a massive club. I didn't realise that until I got here.

You have seen rises similar to mine happen a lot more recently. Dwight Gayle at Crystal Palace is the latest to do it. If you're good enough and you believe in yourself there is always a chance.

On the up: Dwight Gayle has had a similar rise from non-League to Premier League

Football is changing in that respect down the leagues. But you look at the Premier League and the money bandied about for English players. Getting anyone homegrown is ridiculous.

You look at Tom Ince at Blackpool - who is an absolutely magnificent player - and only one club, Cardiff, went in for him. Most would rather go for a foreign import. That needs to change.

They could be scared off by the fee but a lot of the foreign managers are changing the mentality. The Premier League is thriving from it but England have struggled as a result.

Where we go now depends on what the authorities do about it. You might have to limit the number of foreign players or have an English quota.

Missed opportunity: Taylor-Fletcher can't understand why Cardiff were the only side to bid for Tom Ince (centre)

We only enjoy short careers. The money that's knocking around in the Premier League is astronomical, but in the lower leagues you don't get as much money as people think.

Only the Premier League players and possibly the top lads in the Championship - who have played in the top flight for a few years - won't have to work after retirement.

The rest of us will need to get a job and do something after football. You have to think about that. You've taken 15 years out of your life doing something you love.

At 32, I've got to start planning.

After you, boss: The forward is looking to follow Ian Holloway and Nigel Pearson into management

I'm doing my coaching badges at the moment would like to stay in the game. I'm on my Uefa B licence and will finish that before the summer so I can go straight on to my A.

It gives you more opportunity. I want to be a manager. I know a lot of players who have been at clubs that sacked their managers and have had the chance of taking over.

Give me another three or four years and if a job does become available I'll be pushing myself to go for it.

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responsible1, Blackpool, United Kingdom, 9 months ago

Gary was a real character at Blackpool and the fans loved him. He scored goals at Wembley and in our first Premier League game at Wigan. He has done it the hard way and I hope he does well at Leicester.

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ewanwhosarmy, Bognor, United Kingdom, 9 months ago

Trouble is, Gary, my old son, is that professional footballer`s reputations precede them. By and large, they`re a bunch of greedy b******s!

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MARK26, sheffield, Ireland, 9 months ago

what want want sympathy? id rather be a struggling footballer than a struggling factory worker.

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Roger 64-Stoke, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, 9 months ago

Look forward..... to your goals getting Leicester back in the big time!!!!

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