Dan Spencer: How former teammate of Danny Ings fell in love with football again

Cardiff Metropolitan forward Dan Spencer has explained how he was able to rekindle his love of football, after the disappointment of being released by AFC Bournemouth as a child.

The Archers wide-man spent his formative years playing against the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Ings in his time on the south coast before he was released at the age of 15.

A non-league stint eventually lead him to the Welsh capital, and it would be at Cardiff Metropolitan that Spencer would make his mark.

Helping the club grow from the minnows of the Welsh League’s third division into the Welsh Premier League, the 26-year-old now has a chance to be a part of their European adventure.

The Students have been drawn against FC Progrès Niederkorn of Luxembourg, with the ties taking place on June 27 and July 4.

The forward hasn’t forgotten his time at the Cherries, as he looks to take this new opportunity with both hands.

“I was at Bournemouth from the age of nine until I was 15, by the time I got to that age I think I took it for granted really, it was all I ever knew,” Spencer said.

“It wasn’t until it had gone that realised the opportunity I had, but it definitely progressed me as a player.

“We did a couple of tours in Belgium which we happened to win, and we played our rivals, Southampton, but used to get battered when Oxlade-Chamberlain was playing for them at the time.

“A few seasons later we got a little better and managed to win 2-1, so that was definitely a highlight because they were our local rivals as well.”

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Spencer’s release from the professional game was a difficult process to handle, and after falling out of love with football, he eventually found his way back into the game away from the set-up he had grown accustomed to.

The forward has spread himself across his sporting endeavours more recently, spending time in the set-up at Hockey Wales that has helped him get a taste for international sports going into Europe.

There were still fond memories of football for Spencer, though, and his time facing some of England’s top prospects at Bournemouth is one he recalls as just another part of his development as a player.

“Danny Ings was in the year above me and I played with him a few times, and Jayden Stockley who is at Preston North End currently I played with too,” He continued.

“To be honest, Danny wasn’t the guy in the limelight at the time, there were players that were seen as better than him.

“He really progressed during the youth set-up though and towards the end of that he started getting into the first-team, wherein the end he got snapped up by Burnley so he did really well.”

The former Physical Education and Sports Studies student discussed how he was able to overcome a setback so early in his career.

“Support from family and friends helped me through the disappointment, I had a really keen coach at the time who helped me through that and made sure I stayed focused.

“I started to fall out of love with the game, but he really brought me back around and I started to love it again playing local football, you get your confidence back when it’s more relaxed than the professional game.”

(Featured Image: Mathew Lofthouse)