Former Shrewsbury and Telford star Gavin Cowan giving young players new goals

Over the years the former Shrewsbury Town defender and AFC Telford United captain has enjoyed playing with and being managed by some of the best – Joe Hart, Dave Edwards and Brian Little to name but a few.

Today he plays part-time football for Conference side Nuneaton which allows him to spend the rest of his time with his family, especially two-year-old son Wilson, and on his blossoming Crossbar Coaching schools and academies in Shropshire.

It's a busy time for the 32-year-old Essex-born footballer.

"But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being busy all the time," he says.

He launched Crossbar after realising that he needed to prepare for his future when his football career reaches its natural conclusion.

And it has proved a huge hit with youngsters, parents and teachers alike – they are now teaching in more than 30 schools in Telford and Shrewsbury, and all through word of mouth.

Gavin, who lives in Shrewsbury, says: "I feel very blessed to play football. But I was well aware I was a lower league footballer. So I made the decision, just in terms of finances and my future, that playing in League Two on next to no money was not really what I wanted to be doing.

"I got a call from Nuneaton, who I was with previously on loan, and I made the decision to go back into part- time football."

That decision enabled Gavin to take his degree in sports coaching and development.

He says: "The likes of John Terry don't need to go and get a degree because he is set for life, but for me, I can't retire and there has to be a life after football.

"Whilst I was doing my degree and playing part-time football, there was a transition from being a footballer to reality."

He said that he has seen team-mates struggle when their footballing careers came to an end.

"They have only ever known football and then they have to make the transition to getting up to go to work, that is difficult.

"But I saw it coming. So I started to do a bit of voluntary work with the FA in Shropshire. And I thought this was something I could bring a bit of professionalism to, working on child development as well as player development. I wanted to instil a good ethos, good standards, professionalism – all the things I've had instilled in me."

Gavin says he is "totally humbled" by the success of his coaching schools which are not just solely about physical moves but also about using sport as a tool to teach youngsters a good attitude, team work and confidence.

"It seems to be something that schools see the value in and parents see the value in," he says. "Of course, we want to improve their ability, but in football for example, less than one per cent of children get the chance to go on and earn money from football.

"So whilst they are engaged, and it is something that they enjoy doing, why not also use it as a tool to help them with such things as attitude, team work, skills and confidence?

"If they go on to a be a footballer, that's amazing, and we will give them the tools to do that, but if not we can show them that it doesn't have to be competitive, confrontational."

He adds: "What we do is of the highest quality. I wouldn't have it any other way. I feel very proud to say we are doing good things."

He adds: "I hear people coming back from holiday and moaning about going back to work. I relish coming into the office and getting back to the desk and getting back to football. I used to moan when I was younger but now I feel very lucky and very blessed. I never have that Monday morning feeling."