LEWIS Kinsella is in line to make his home bow for Colchester United tomorrow.
But not so long ago, the left-back was plying his trade in a very different profession as he pondered his next move as a footballer.
After being released by Aston Villa last month, Kinsella spent a number of weeks as a free agent prior to signing a one-year deal for the U’s just before the start of the new League Two season.
And during that uncertain time, the 21-year-old defender admits he doubted whether he would find a new club.
Kinsella said: “I was working for my uncle part-time in plumbing, just to earn a bit of cash over the summer in case nothing happened but I’m so happy I got something sorted.
“I was sitting over the summer thinking that I wasn’t going to end up with a club so I’m over the moon to be at a massive club like Colchester.
“When I got released, I had two offers from league clubs but it didn’t work out.
“I met both managers and picked a club; I’d already turned down one offer and was ringing the other manager asking when I was going to sign and he just completely turned his phone off.
“Then they went and signed another left-back – which I saw on BBC Sport.
“I was wondering what I was going to do so I had to trial at teams for a few weeks.”
Kinsella, who failed to make an appearance for Villa during his five-year spell at Villa Park, has made only four league appearances during his career and is determined to make up for lost time.
“I see this as a springboard for my career,” said Kinsella, who spent eight years at Arsenal as a trainee prior to being released at the age of 16.
“I’d been wanting to get out on loan from Villa for a long time but it’s harder than it looks.
“I’d have loved to have played for Aston Villa’s first team but I was very lucky when I was there.
“But it’s gone now – I’m at Colchester and I need to play and make a name for myself and prove them wrong.
“There are a lot of players at Colchester who have played 100 games or more and they’re my age and I’ve played four.
“I need much more experience and I want to be playing that many league games.”
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