Chris Lever was destined to play in Shropshire

The Bucks' Mr Dependable, who arrived in the summer, first set foot in the area trying to earn a deal with Shrews after his release from hometown club Oldham.

The man who let him go at Boundary Park, then-boss John Sheridan, arranged for him to spend time with Town in the hope of finding a new place to call home.

After a trial match in the summer of 2009, Shrewsbury decided not to pursue a deal and he trialled with Chester City before he was snapped up by non-league Southport.

He said: "When I got released from Oldham, I was struggling a bit, and there was only a month to go until the start of the season. I went on trial to Chester and Shrewsbury.

"It was John Sheridan who sent me to Shrewsbury for a trial, Gary Peters was their manager and I went down for one game, which I played as a centre-half.

"If they had offered me something, I would have probably gone there, I was just trying to get myself sorted with a club, I went to Chester after that but nothing was doing.

"I just wanted to play football, I sent a few letters out and Southport gave me a call. They were full-time, for the first season I was there. The rest is history.

"I ended up spending six years there, I got a job when they went part-time in a warehouse, nothing special but I earned a bit of extra money.

"I work with my Dad, Tony, now. He sells bathrooms so I go around with him. I am learning, so I am not as good at it as he is!"

Lever was signed by his current manager at Telford, Liam Watson, for Southport and was part of the team that won the Conference North title in his first season.

The following five years were spent in the Premier with the Sandgrounders and, when Watson left, Lever followed him to the New Bucks Head and dropped back into non-league's second tier.

Perhaps the 26-year-old will always feel the disappointment of being shunned by his first club, but he's carved out a good career for himself outside of the Football League.

Former Republic of Ireland international Sheridan made that call and Lever respects that, but he feels he's edging back towards the big-time with his current club.

He said: "I am enjoying it here at Telford, the supporters are great and the set-up is right, it's one of the most professional clubs I have been at.

"In terms of fan-base, it's the biggest where I have ever played for the first-team, I was at Oldham but I only ever made the bench.

"I was in the squad a few times but it just didn't work out, which was disappointing as it was my home-town club. I just had to get on with it.

"I was at the end of my contract and I wasn't in the manager's plans. Despite that, he was a good coach to have.

"I had always rated him as a player before that, too, and he always used to remind us he played in two World Cups!"

Lever has played at right-back, left-back so far for the Bucks and ended up in midfield against Hednesford in the FA Cup last weekend, with four players out.

Now he's preparing to return to left-back at Histon tomorrow, in only the second away league fixture he's played for the club after a knee injury. But he will fill in anywhere.

He said: "If I am in the team, I am happy. I just try and do the basics right and everything else is a bonus. If I am in the team as a defender, my first priority is to defend

"Liam spoke to me at the training session before last weekend's game and asked me to do him a favour, as we were really struggling on numbers in midfield.

"I found it alright, it took me about 15 minutes to adjust to the position but I seemed to do OK. If I am selected tomorrow, it will probably be at left-back.

"I was brought up as a centre-half and that's probably the position I prefer. I have played at right-back, too, and I am actually right-footed."