Whilst Ross County striker Alex Samuel has still got plenty of years left in his career, it is fair to say his career to date has been fascinating.
Samuel has been through a fair amount in his career. From starting out at a Seaside town in the middle of Wales to reaching the heights of the EFL Championship.
In an interview with VAVEL and Cymru Sport, Samuel reflected on his career up until now.
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Early beggining's in Welsh Football
Aberystwyth - A seaside town in Ceredigion, Wales.
For Alex, it is where his football career began, coming through the Academy before eventually playing senior football in the Welsh top flight for Aberystwyth Town FC.
Breaking onto the senior football scene at the age of 16, the interest in Alex was high. Trials at some of the UK's biggest clubs followed.
So how did Samuel's career all start in Aberystwyth?
"Aber has always been at the forefront of starting my career," he began.
"There would be two teams I would love to watch and they would be Swansea and Aberystwyth. We would mostly go on a Tuesday cold night to Park Avenue.
"I was with Aberystwyth Academy from a very young age.
"When I was about 12 years old, we played Swansea City development squad and I scored a hattrick.
"I got picked up by Swansea and I went there for trials. They really liked me.
"I was part of the development squad for a good couple of months for Swansea.
"But then there was an FA rule where if you live over an hour and a half, you're not able to play. That's why I was back at Aberystwyth.
"The Welsh Schools picked me up and that really helped me get my name out there.
"I scored against England and Scotland. It was against England that there was a Man City scout there. It was there where I got picked up in that game and that started the whole interest.
"Then the semi-professional Wales got in touch and I remember going there. I was on the bench but came on.
"It was more of a realisation of maybe something could happen. You're looking around and thinking I could be in with a shot here.
"I knew I was gifted and I knew I was doing well in the arena I was playing at. I struggled a lot with confidence when I was growing up and that side of the game, so I never thought big of myself.
"I broke into the first team of Aberystwyth as a 16-year-old lad."
After he broke into senior football, cue interest from the English Premier League.
"Man United were really interested and wanted me to go on a trial. Newcastle came in as well.
"This was in the middle of all my GCSE exams. I was bringing all my study books with me.
"Just to put a Man Utd shirt on was pretty cool.
"Swansea who were on my doorstep were going, what are we doing? There is this lad on trial for Man U and Newcastle. Why haven't we picked him up?
"It was Tony Pennock, Haverfordwest manager. He brought me in.
"He said we want to offer you a two-year scholarship. At the time it was my boyhood club that I loved and it was just incredible.
"That led perfectly to sign for Swansea."
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A dream move to Swansea City
"It was a shock to the system."
Alex signed for Swansea City on a two-year scholarship after he broke into senior football.
With Swansea being his boyhood club, it was a dream come true.
"I remember walking in and you have players like Michael Vorm, Leon Brittain, Angel Rangel, all players who I looked up to.
"I had to learn really quickly.
"I loved it. Putting a Swansea kit on every day was just a dream of mine. It was awesome.
"Wilfried Bony when he was here. He was a large, huge striker, loves to pin players. I loved that.
"I loved how strong he was. We would do shooting practice together and I have never seen anyone hit the ball as hard as him.
"He would give me advice. He had a big impact."
A key moment in Samuel's career would follow. Decision time.
Would Alex Samuel attain a professional contract after his scholarship deal ended?
"The two scholarship years were so intense. It was all on this professional contract.
"This was all or nothing. To get there and into the professional game after not having a pro contract was incredibly tough and I knew that.
"I remember the day they were all in the physio room, all waiting.
"I think maybe three or four players got offered a pro deal. Eight or nine were let go.
"To be offered a deal was a dream come true for me."
Loan spells at Greenock Morton and Newport County followed, with Samuel avoiding relegation from the EFL with the latter on the final day of the season.
He would then make a permanent move to Stevenage, but an injury cut short his time at the club.
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From rock bottom to the Championship
For Alex, it looked like his career may be in doubt after his release from Stevenage.
A "mystery" injury meant his near future was uncertain.
However, after recovering from that, it was not long until the new season, and after turning down two opportunities with Newport County and Yeovil Town, Wycombe Wanderers would be his next destination.
"My faith is huge to me," he explained.
In the middle of all this pain and suffering, and just not knowing, it is looking pretty grim.
"Me and Rachel, my wife, we prayed. We just spent an evening just going 'God what do you have for me, we need help really.' God spoke to me so clearly and he showed me the Wycombe badge out of the blue.
"They were getting promoted to League One. I'm in League Two and I haven't played.
"I understand logistically thinking that sounds absolutely crazy, but also we had a lot of people we trusted when we prayed.
"If I told my agent that God told me to turn them (Newport and Yeovil) down he would probably rip my contract up, which I understand. He would probably think I have absolutely lost the plot.
"Going back after my surgery, it led to a time where the season was about to start, still coming back from my injury. I had no club, bills coming out. I had no money left.
"The week before the season started, he had a message from Wycombe Wanderers saying would Alex like to come on trial here.
Alex would take up that offer with the Chairboys, starting out as a trialist.
"I walked in as a trialist but they treated me as a player from the get-go.
"It was only a six-month deal. Financially the club was in a pretty hard place.
"I was on £400 a week. Trying to live in Buckinghamshire on that was quite interesting. Me and my Mrs had to do houseshares.
"It was quite a rough couple of months. But having a real breakthrough moment with Wycombe, it was a special time.
Gareth Ainsworth was Wycombe Wanderers manager during Samuel's time at the Blues, with Richard Dobson being the assistant manager at the club.
Samuel spoke about the role they played during his time at the club.
"They were huge. They stepped in more as coaches.
"You could tell they were so invested in your life, not just football but just your personal life.
"The way they would operate was inspiring. Everyone fed off that.
"I have such high regards for them still and still keep in touch with them.
"The club was such a tight-knit team with awesome people. I think that's what makes a really successful club.
The Welshman also spoke about his strike partner Adebayo Akinfenwa, also known as "The Beast", having both been at the club during Samuel's spell in Buckinghamshire.
"He walks in, always the last person coming in. He's got his music walking in, such a presence about him.
"He was such a good bloke. Humble and wants to help you.
"We had such a good partnership because there would be games we would play together and I would get the flick-ons.
"The season we got promoted it was very much he would play then I would play then he would play. It worked really well.
"A lot of strikers in the same team can be very competitive and it can be quite toxic, but with him he just wanted to help you which was great.
When the 2019/20 season came around, Wycombe were favourites to be relegated from League One.
It would turn into an incredible season for Wycombe Wanderers, who were top of the league within weeks of the season.
"We just kept winning. Momentum is massive in football.
"It was just amazing. Everything just clicked.
"It was an amazing time to be at Wycombe Wanderers. We were top for so long and then we went on a shaky little run and teams were catching us, and then COVID hit.
"To end up out of the playoffs was actually really disappointing. But obviously we always said we were going to finish well.
"The average points helped us. It was just a bizarre year.
"It was a time where we really rested and took a breather. It was really important for me and my wife at the time.
"It was a bizarre preparation. We only had two weeks to train. It was quite intense.
"I wasn't expecting to play. I didn't play for a little bit before COVID hit, I was in and out.
"To hear I was starting was amazing.
"Harry Souttar was the centre-back at Fleetwood. I would be practising against Dave Waites, the Sports Scientist before the game because he's about 6 ft 3.
"The game was amazing and full of adrenaline. Going one-nil up so early and them pulling a goal back straight away.
"Getting that goal and man of the match as well was just incredible. It was one of the highlights of my career.
The playoff final against Oxford United would follow, with the winner making the step up to the EFL Championship.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that season, the game would be played in front of an empty Wembley Stadium.
"It was a bittersweet moment," he explained.
"It was an amazing experience of having your teammates. The team was so close and we had that moment.
"It was a bitter experience not having your family, friends and fans there to share that.
"When JJ (Joe Jacobson) put the ball in (for the penalty) I think from there we were like okay we've got this. Some amazing defending from Anthony Stewart and Darius Charles saved us.
"It was a really tense game. When the whistle went, the emotion and the elation.
"For everyone, it was just a special moment in that time."
It was the first time Wycombe would ever play in the second tier of English Football.
Whilst it did not start in the way the Chairboys were hoping, they came a lot closer to staying in the division than many expected.
"The start really affected us. We didn't win the first eight to ten games. You're always playing catchup.
"The quality and the players that the Championship have is just another level.
"If we had another two, maybe three games, I think we would have stayed in the Championship.
"We were one point off which was agonising, but also an accomplishment for the club.
"To be that close, the previous season we were expected to get relegated from League One so to be relegated from the Championship, of course you don't want a relegation on your name, but I think the level where we came from was an amazing achievement for the club."
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Return to Scottish Football
After Wycombe were relegated back to League One, it looked like it would be another season in the English game for Samuel.
However, after new signings came through the door in his position, he had to reconsider.
"We got relegated. I had a year left on my deal, so the thought process from me was to stay at Wycombe and play League One.
"But then the club brought in Sam Vokes and I knew they were bringing in another striker. The latter stages of the Championship I probably didn't play as many games as I would have liked.
"I knew my time was up at Wycombe. It was a really hard time because I love the club. I felt so at home.
"The last couple of days of the transfer window I had the heads up that I was able to leave and obviously Ross County came in.
"I spoke with Malky (Mackay), it all ticked the boxes for me. To go back up to Scotland and play at an amazing level of the Scottish Premiership."
Samuel joined Ross County on a two-year deal, bringing an end to his three-year spell at Adams Park.
The striker, who is still at Ross County today, explained what was a tough first season back in Scotland.
"Coming up here you realise how far away it is. It was a tough couple of months for me to try to get settled.
"Through the middle of the season I ruptured my knee that I damaged at Greenock Morton. I knew straightaway my season was done and that it was ten to twelve months minimum.
"That first year was really tough.
"I came back from my ACL in January. The manager said that going on loan is probably the best shout.
"I don't think I was in the manager's plans at that time. But I knew the way I came back, we were in a relegation battle. I had been in there before. I have done it at Newport and know what it takes.
"I wanted to stay, I wanted to fight for my place. Then I was playing a lot more.
"The last five games I scored against Livingston. We went on a great run. We were in the relegation playoffs and had an amazing moment.
"To be 3-0 down with 20 minutes to go and to turn that around was amazing.
"My aims are to continue my football and enjoy my football and be that consistent player this season."
