WHAT do you think the difference is between Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Welling United player-manager Jamie Day?
Other than five divisions and, you would imagine, a sizeable bank balance – one was selected as a schoolboy to go to Lilleshall, and the other wasn’t.
Day – a youngster at Arsenal – used to mix with the likes of Michael Owen, Wes Brown, Scott Parker and Michael Ball at the academy for English’s crème de le crème.
“You don’t realise at the time how lucky you are to be at such a special place,” Day says. “You are training every day, playing for your country and playing with the best players in England at your age.
“There were some great players there who have gone on to have fantastic careers. It was a great experience for me.
“I don’t think you fully appreciate it until you’re a little bit older. Being there and the experiences I’ve got from that I’ll never forget. I still speak to some of the boys that were there and look back with fond memories.”
Day made the Gunners’ bench before leaving for League One Bournemouth in a £20,000 deal.
He admits he didn’t adapt to the level and dropped further down the ladder where he played for Dover, Grays and Dartford before returning to Welling for a second spell – this time as player-boss. But while Day’s playing career didn’t pan out as he’d hoped the 33-year-old isn’t bitter and what might have been.
Day, who signed a contract in October until the end of next season, says: “I got to a stage where I probably didn’t work as hard as I should have. People say don’t look back and say, ‘I should have tried harder’. I’m one of those cases.
“I was doing reasonably well and thought I’d done enough. Once you get to that stage and you don’t start putting the hours in then you slowly go down that slippery slope.
“I dropped down to League One but didn’t really adapt to that level because I still felt I should be playing higher. Then I dropped into Non-League and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I played for some good clubs. I was hoping for a sniff of getting back into the League but that didn’t happen.
Credentials
“It didn’t go as well as I would have liked. Of course you look back with disappointment that you didn’t play higher but hopefully everything works out for a reason. I’ve got to use that as a positive to try and get there as a manager if I can.
“Our staff ambition is to become League managers. We are only going to do that by making sure our players do the best they can.”
Since arriving back at Park View Road to take the reins in November 2009 he’s certainly shown – along with assistant Barry Ashby and the rest of his management team – his credentials.
The Wings were struggling in the Blue Square South before Day led them to a mid-table finish. The beginning of the next season was a traumatic one.
Welling were in real strife with the Conference slapping a transfer embargo on them and dishing out a five-point deduction for breaking financial rules.
On the field however Day had his team firing. The docked points were to prove the difference when they missed out on the play-off places by a draw.
Last season brought defeat in the play-off final at the hands of Day’s former club Dartford and the loss of up-coming youngsters Jack Parkinson and Loick Pires to Woking in the summer could have been a real body blow.
But on the first day of 2013 Welling won their ninth game on the spin – a run that includes the scalps of Newport and Woking in the FA Trophy – with a 4-0 defeat of AFC Hornchurch. His efforts the month before brought about the BSBS Manager of the Month award.
The Hornchuch win also brought their fourth clean sheet on in a row and kept the Kent side second in the BSBS firmly on the coat tails of leaders Salisbury.
“A couple of months back we were beaten by Maidenhead where we didn’t play as well as we can,” says Day, who is playing an important role in the midfield.
“We’d been a bit inconsistent up until then. We had a few words with the boys and in fairness to them they’ve knuckled down.
“The work and effort they’ve put into games has been unbelievable. We’ve been a little bit lucky at times but you probably make your own when you’re working as hard as they are.
Critical
“We know the run will come to an end. When that happens we’ve got to bounce back and get on another run.”
If Welling could get into Non-League’s top tier it would be some achievement. Tony Burman at neighbours Dartford show what can be achieved and Day also looks to the likes of Eddie Howe at Bournemouth.
“You’ve got to use as many contacts as you possibly can,” Day says. “As long as you do it in the right way and you’re respectful then it all helps.
“I speak to Tony as well as Eddie Howe at Bournemouth who throws me a couple of ideas.
“For someone like myself and my management staff he is the sort of person you look up to and where you want to get to. He’s done a fantastic job and continuing to do so.
“I still speak to Neil Banfield and Steve Bould at Arsenal for advice too. I’ve been invited in to watch them train a few times.
“They are there to help and I’m thankful for the fact they still remember me. “
Those wise words coming his way could well be important as the title race gets into its critical stage.
“We’ve got a tough four months ahead but it would be fantastic to get up and test ourselves against full-time clubs,” Day says.
“I think the next two months will tell whether we are going to be there or thereabouts or if we’re fighting for a play-off place.”
