Shrewsbury Town defender Aristote Nsiala looking to work his way to the top

The Congolese centre-half, who grew up on Merseyside, spent two years in the academy set-up at Everton amid an exciting pool of talent,

Ross Barkley, Goodison's scouse darling, Shkodran Mustafi, Arsenal's centre-half, and England midfielder Eric Dier were all team-mates of the giant defender.

But Nsiala, 24, has no regrets about not taking a similar star-studded path.

Now, settled at Greenhous Meadow after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal, Nsiala got over a debut sending off by giving a supreme performance against high-flying Bradford.

Leaving Everton was tough. Nsiala didn't play for a while. A spell at Accrington Stanley was short-lived and he went to look for football elsewhere, in both Belgium and Vietnam.

But he found his feet. Southport was the start, then Grimsby – where he met Paul Hurst and Chris Doig. "I had an unbelievable time at Everton but probably the best decision I've made, or Everton have made, was to let me go," he said honestly.

"You live in a bubble where you're just happy plodding along. As soon as you leave, you realise what the football world is like.

"But if you're not lucky enough to push through at a big club then this is the best way to get through, to go early. At Everton at a young age if a goal goes in you learn from it and go again next week.

"Here, every pass has to be perfect, if you make a mistake it kills you for the week – it's your living."

Nsiala reels off memories of spending time with David Moyes's Everton. Yakubu, or the chief or king – as they had to call him – brings a broad smile, along with Sylvain Distin, Joseph Yobo, Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines.

He had a trial with clubs in Belgium through former team-mate Louis Saha.

It's not a conventional path but Nsiala's background is anything but conventional.

He adds matter-of-factly: "I didn't start playing football until I was 15, it wasn't really my thing. I liked music.

"When I picked it up at 15 at school, that's when I got picked up for the school team.

"We'd all get together, the whole street, and everyone would pay a fiver in the summer – with seven teams – and the winner takes all.

"(Cristiano) Ronaldo was why I liked (Manchester) United. All my family are Liverpool fans, I'm just a glory hunter, aren't I?

"A guy called Ray Hall (who discovered Wayne Rooney) gave me the chance at Everton.

"He said for a kid that's not played before much, it was the first time in 20 years he'd had someone like that in."