'I was going on the building site': How Will Brook went from potential labourer to Shrewsbury Town number one
Will Brook has quickly established himself as Shrewsbury Town's number one goalkeeper - but it could have been very different for the young shot stopper.
The 22-year-old, who first came through at Leeds United before moving on to Nottingham Forest found himself without a club back in the summer.
Released by the Premier League side - he was at odds with what to do.
Like many players who find themselves out of contract and without a club, Brook attended the PFA training camps which help scores of out of contract players keep fit and find new clubs.
And it worked for Brook, has he was picked up by National League North part timers Leamington on an emergency deal.
It was a move that kept Brook in football - but not full time employment. To that end, the 22-year-old was days away from taking up a job as a labourer working alongside his father in the building trade.
However, Salop then came knocking. Fast forward three months, and Brook has firmly established himself at Salop with a string of fine displays, with thoughts of cold mornings on the building site a distant memory.
"Whirlwind is an easy way to put it, but I've experienced the release stuff before," explained Brook.
"I've got to let go from Leeds, but yeah, how quickly everything's turned around, it's just making sure that you stay on track, you keep yourself fit, and then any opportunity that comes, you can take it with both hands.
"I actually had a CSCS test, so I was going to go work with my Dad the week before I signed here. So I was just playing, I was part-time, semi-pro, hoping to do my best there, like I always do.
"But yeah, the plan wasn't to be thrown into full-time football again this quick. But obviously, keeping fit over pre-season, making sure that I keep my body in the best shape possible, just so if the opportunity did come, I was ready to take it."
Shrewsbury may have been a goalkeeper up, but Brook senior was set to be a man down on the building site. "He was actually really happy because he comes to every game," joked Brook.
"So yeah, he was buzzing when I got the call."
For Brook, it was a massive move and after being handed his debut at Barnet he has not looked like being dislodged by Manchester United loanee Elyh Harrison.
He has picked up three clean sheets in eight starts - and again came in for praise from his manager after a string of fine stops in the defeat at Crewe.
And his manager Michael Appleton has admitted that the club got 'a bit lucky' with the deal to bring in Brook - having looked at a number of other potential options.
He added: "Beast, as in Brian Jenson had a list of probably about six or seven names on it where we knew that we'd have to have more of a young type goalkeeper because of finances and wanting to use the budget in other areas of the pitch," added the Salop boss.
"We knew we'd secured Elyh and Will was one of them six or seven names.
"We sat down, we went through it, we looked at some clips, pedigree, size, stature and all that type of stuff and it was one of them where, let's have a conversation, see where he's at.
"I think he was very close, well we know he was very close to going and working with his Dad but then obviously I think he was very close to agreeing to play non-league football as well.
"So it was one of them situations where, in brutal honesty, we probably got a bit lucky with it.
"That's the truth. But since he'd come in, he's shown, not only is he a pretty decent goalkeeper, he's a top guy as well, he's a good lad, he's got a good personality, players like him, he's good around the place."