George Donnelly and Matt Glennon - I'm still standing

The highlight of my afternoon at the Kassam last weekend came after the game standing talking to Stockport striker George Donnelly and keeper Matt Glennon.

Donnelly had spent ten years with Liverpool before being dumped at the age of seventeen. The setback saw him fall out of love with the game and he ended up working in a warehouse. As he told me:

"I found myself unloading wagons at a clothing warehouse. Walking to and from work in all weathers and had just about given up on football. My Dad George wouldn't give me though and he got me interested again enough to play for Skelmersdale where I scored 36 goals in half a season. Plymouth then signed me and now I'm on loan at Stockport and things are looking up again."

Donnelly has now scored five goals in seven and while there are probably hundreds of kids out there who don't get a second chance, it's always good to hear about someone who has been given a second chance and grabbed it with both hands.

Keeper Matt Glennon, on the other hand, has returned to the club he supported as a boy and is 'lending' his experience - literally. He revealed:

"County needed an experienced goalkeeper and I needed to be playing first team football, but we're taking each game as it comes. Ideally I'd like to stay and sign a permanent contract. I was a ball boy here and have been away for eleven years and so it's good to be home.

At the moment it isn't about money, but I've got a young family and so really need to secure my future and can't afford to play without a proper salary for too long. Two clean sheets in three games is worth £120,000 a week surely!"

Glennon's joking about his financial expectations, but it is refreshing to hear of a footballer who is willing to play for a pittance in order to help his home town club and hopefully put himself in the shop window in the process.