A loan move I didn’t want to Aldershot turned out to be huge learning curve

By Scott Davies
This week I wanted to look back at the benefits of going on loan to Aldershot Town back in the year of 2007. Being 19 years old at the time, and training with Reading, who were then a Premier League side, it really didn't sit well with my ego.
I was told by Steve Coppell that I was to be sent out on a season-long loan after suffering a broken jaw in a fracas on a night out in my local town. It was made clear to me that I had no choice in the matter and whichever club showed the first interest would be the club that I would be joining. I was written to on social media by many fans welcoming me to their ‘fantastic' club. A club they were sure I would love. It was almost laughable to think that this could even be remotely possible. Keep reading…
On July 17, 2007, I made my way to the Recreation Ground in Aldershot to play against Crystal Palace in a pre-season friendly. Me being me, I devoured a Burger King moments before getting to the stadium as I had headed to the match straight from the driving test centre where I was finally victorious at the seventh attempt!
The match was very different. For the first time ever I felt as though I was surrounded by top class athletes on a stage. Training at Reading was always demanding but with this being a match situation, it was a little bit frightening. As the game went on I began to feel more and more at home. I wasn't getting as much time on the ball as I would have done in a youth team match, but being around better players certainly got the best out of me.
The season started very well for me individually and also as a team collectively. We were sitting pretty at the top of the league and I had chipped in with a few goals. It wasn't now a case of improving as a player, and touching up the unpolished edges, it was all about getting three points on a Saturday to secure the livelihoods of fellow team-mates and the staff.
It was strange how I had gone from a boy to a man in a matter of months. The Scott who would get a ‘well done' during a defeat in an academy match would no longer get a well done during a defeat in the Conference National. This was a results-based business.
I was very fortunate to play under a great manager in Gary Waddock, a fantastic coach in Martin Kuhl and to build a special relationship with the Aldershot faithful. The price of this experience was certainly invaluable. As the season came to a close I had ended up scoring 11 goals in 24 matches, and missing 15 games through suspension!
Even playing in front of a crowd was abnormal. When you made a mistake they definitely let you know about it. Moans and groans being heard from the stand were something I had to learn to block from my mind. I was fearless in the way
I played and of course made mistakes at the time, but fortunately for me, the positives that season outweighed the negatives and the fans showed me that by singing my name out loud.
And the main objective was achieved, promotion! From all the support we received thanks to our success it's fair to say that Aldershot will always have a special place in my heart. Without the platform to showcase my potential, I wouldn't have been able to go on and achieve what I did in football.
So why would I recommend going on loan to a team in the National League, North or South? I'll tell you why, because the attention to detail is getting greater by the season. The professionalism is not far off that of a full time club and the coaches are more knowledgeable than ever.
Don't get me wrong though, not all clubs are on par at the top in terms of the things mentioned above. The coaching we have received this season at Chelmsford has surprised me if I'm honest. I thought I had heard pretty much everything there was to hear from a coach in football, but Nick Haycock (Asst Manager/Coach Chelmsford City) keeps adding to my knowledge. At times during a session the older pro may tend to switch off when a fellow pro is being spoken to by a coach as ‘they've heard it all before'. But arguably, for the first time in a number of years I feel as though I'm learning again even at the age of 29.
I've heard people in football who are older than me say that they are still learning every day, but I thought it was just a throw away comment to be quite honest. But recently my eyes have been opened to seeing the game in a different way so I can now vouch for what they have said.
Even the small things of playing Saturday and Tuesday, week in week out. It's a tough business and there's no rest for the wicked. Playing against men for the first time was probably the last time that I played a match where I felt 100 per cent fit. It's a competitive game and you're always going to feel some sort of knock, but it's how you deal with it mentally that will allow you to get through it. I'm not talking broken bones here, I'm talking bumps and bruises.
Non-League football is a good level of football, I assure you. You only have to look at the likes of Lincoln City's run in the FA Cup last year to see the strength in depth in English football. This season will be no different and I'm certain that there will be even more semi-professional clubs getting through to the latter rounds of the FA Cup.
I like the fact that we're underestimated by the ‘big dogs' because it gives us more of a chance of success. Some may argue that they don't underestimate but I promise you they do, as I've seen it first hand. See the draw, get a Non-League side, rub your hands together and high-five the lads. Be careful what you wish for!