Playing football at a semi-pro level in the late 1990s, a young Kevin Thelwell started mopping up FA and UEFA coaching badges to go with his degree in sports science.
At that point, playing on muck heaps and in front of two men and a dog, there was no telling where the journey might take him, if anywhere at all.
But he knew that a career in football was something he wanted to pursue. Before he had even turned 30, Thelwell had already started to take some significant steps forward.
In 1998, a new role with the Welsh FA saw him oversee the delivery of coaching courses and, for the next seven years, he cut his teeth in professional football.