Jamie Edge has his sights on a Football League breakthrough after experiencing the extreme highs and lows of football since leaving Cheltenham Town.
Both Manchester United and Arsenal were chasing the former Quedgeley Wanderers and Gloucester Primary Schools prospect after spotting him starring in the Robins' youth set-up.
He chose Arsenal, who paid a six-figure sum to sign him at the age of 15 in 2009 and the money went a long way to safeguarding financially-stricken Cheltenham's future.
Edge left Churchdown School a year early and moved to North London, where he lived in digs in Cockfosters.
The central midfielder turned fully professional at the age of 17 and made one reserve team appearance.
But after two years with the Gunners he was told his opportunities were going to be limited and he agreed to have the final year of contract paid up in the summer of 2011.
He joined Roy Hodgson's West Bromwich Albion, where ex-Robins boss Keith Downing was number two.
Things started well for him at the Premier League club, but he was then struck down by an injury which kept him out for three months.
"Up to Christmas I was flying and it was some of the best football I've played," Edge said.
"I was a regular for the reserves and youth teams at the age of 18 and I trained with the first team once a week.
"I knew Keith from Cheltenham and he was very supportive and Dave Oldfield was the reserve manager and he was great to work with.
"I then got tendonitis in my right foot and it spoilt my time there really. I had a steroid injection which helped, but I was released at the end of the season."
Edge then hit rock bottom, having tasted the high life at Arsenal and West Brom, he was without a club and his agent deserted him.
"Things went wrong for me and my agent left me, so I was both disappointed and angry," he said.
"I'd always been in demand and had options, but suddenly I was left on my own for the first time in my career.
"That summer was the worst summer of my life and I didn't know what to do.
"But it builds character and you learn to develop a thick skin because when I was 15 and moving to Arsenal I had no idea about the other side of football, which can be a harsh industry."
Edge was then offered a place at the Nike Academy, based at Loughborough University.
The team is for unsigned players under 20 and coached by Jimmy Gilligan, formerly of Watford, Cardiff City and Portsmouth.
"I was sceptical at first and I didn't want to go there really, but it was nothing like I expected it to be" he said.
"It's the most professional environment I've ever worked in and Jimmy Gilligan is one of the one of best coaches and he's done so much for me. The assistant is Ryan Garry, who played for Arsenal and Bournemouth and I played more than 40 games during the season just finished.
"We travelled to Belgium, Sweden and Spain and I played against Barcelona and Espanyol – it was just what I needed and a great year."
Edge has been the subject of interest from several Football League and Blue Square Bet Premier clubs and he is confident with the experience he has at the age of 19, he can now start his senior career in earnest.
"I just want to get my career going again, play games and work hard," he said.
"I do sometimes wonder how things would have worked out if I'd stayed at Cheltenham, but I learned so much at Arsenal and I can't speak highly enough of the whole club."
