FA Trophy preview: David Nugent’s love for Anstey Nomads

By Andy Mitchell

FA Cup winner David Nugent has revealed how being at Anstey Nomads is rekindling his love for football after cutting ties following a painful retirement from the professional game.

The Leicester City and Preston North End favourite struggled as time caught up with him at the end of a career that featured an England cap and goal in 2007 and Wembley glory with Portsmouth in 2008.

But after more than four years “happily retired” and focused on being a dad, Nugent accepted the invite to dovetail his work towards a UEFA B licence with player-coach duties at Cropston Road and it has been the perfect partnership so far.

Not only is Nugent enjoying a new lease of life, but Nomads went into the weekend boasting eight wins in nine matches in all competitions since his arrival.

Buzz

They include the scalps of higher-ranked Stratford Town and Bedford Town in a club-record FA Trophy run that has teed up Saturday’s third round trip to National League Hartlepool United – surely enough to have given him the buzz back?

“It is coming back,” the 40-year-old told The NLP. “When I retired, I just wanted to stay away from football as much as possible.

“I wasn’t playing how I wanted to and it ended quite badly, really. I was a striker, I wanted to score goals and run in on the back of defenders and I couldn’t do it anymore.

“I’d break down with little niggly injuries, I was 36 and started to wonder whether I needed it.

Different class

“Towards the end, I went on loan at Tranmere in League Two and didn’t really play – that was time up for me.

“Like anyone, I wanted it to end happily, but it didn’t turn out that way, so I left football behind, thinking I would never get back into it, but Conrad (Logan, Anstey manager) and all the lads here have been different class.

“We play football, we don’t just lump it forward, and that is credit to Conrad and players, so the love for the game is starting to come back and I am enjoying watching rather than playing.”

Nugent admitted to feeling his lack of game time during his cameos, with any on-field appearances are likely to be through necessity rather than choice as he focuses on his passion for coaching.

“This is a starting point for me,” he added.

Energy levels

“Eventually, I do see myself hopefully coaching in a higher league – that could be with Anstey or somewhere else, you never know what is around the corner.

“My daughter is at Leicester’s academy, she’s 12, so there is always that option – I love improving players and hopefully I can help a lot of these lads to get better and to a higher level.”

The focus is on “hopefully getting promoted”, but there is the not-so-small matter of that tantalising Trophy trip, one Nugent insists his boys will be ready for.

“We have just beaten Bedford, so we are no strangers to causing an upset and the lads are looking forward to it,” he said.

“We are a really good footballing side, people are surprised by how much football we play.

“Hartlepool will be favourites, but our energy levels will be high. We will certainly be up for it.”