"It was sink or swim and I feel like I swam!" Paul Anderson celebrating promotion with Northampton Town and studying for coaching badges 12 months after considering quitting football

Lessons learned from tough times, says Melton Mowbray man
Anderson celebrates with his Cobblers teammates. Photo: GattyImagesAnderson celebrates with his Cobblers teammates. Photo: GattyImages
Anderson celebrates with his Cobblers teammates. Photo: GattyImages

"It was sink or swim and I feel like I swam. It was a proud moment really," Paul Anderson reflected.

Last summer the winger was considering turning his back on football after broken promises, months frozen out of first team life and attacks on his personality which saw him seeking counselling.

Fast forward a year and life is completely different for the 31-year-old Melton Mowbray lad.

Anderson fulfilled a lifelong ambition to win at Wembley stadium as he helped Northampton Town secure promotion to League One and is working towards coaching qualifications, plotting a long-term future in the game.

"After the last couple of years I wasn't sure if I'd even be playing football. To get the chance to play at Wembley is brilliant," Anderson continued.

"I can look back now and smile because how it's turned out."

Anderson is more than entitled to enjoy his current highs as he knows his personal road to Wembley was a long, often arduous slog that has first taken him from Hull to Northampton, via Liverpool, Swansea, Nottingham, Bristol, Ipswich, Bradford and Mansfield.

In 2017 Anderson was tempted to Field Mill by the ambitions of Steve Evans. But after the Scot's departure new boss David Flitcroft froze him out.

Anderson was left to train with the youngsters at Brooksby Melton College and sought counselling."Everyone talks about mental health. It's a massive thing at the minute and I can say I've lived in a period of time where I was not in a good place," he added.

"The things that got said about me were so wrong. They were all about my character and personality and nothing to do with my footballing ability. When it becomes personal you start to question yourself and doubt yourself as a person.

"When people are saying you're a nasty guy, you're negative and this and that, when you hear it enough times you start to believe it a bit.

"Football's a cut-throat business and it's not a nice business to be in sometimes. It really made me question whether I was mentally strong enough to carry on in that industry."

Anderson saw his Stags contract terminated by mutual consent in January last year, but finding a new club isn't the easiest task when you've been out of sight and mind for so long.

"When you're out the game, I didn't play a game for nearly 18 months because of one manager, you get blackballed," Anderson added.

"People ask why haven't you played for 18 months? Is he a bad egg? Is he this person? Do we want him in our changing room?

"Because you're out the game you have to prove yourself. You don't just get given contracts, so you're then starting from the bottom."

Anderson signed a short-term contract with Plymouth Argyle before becoming a free agent again in the summer.

And that's when he began questioning his future.

"It was 'do I really want to go through all that stress and pressure?'" he said. "The start of the season, when a couple of things didn't come my way, after getting promised certain things, I was asking 'what have i done to deserve this?' Am I in the right industry?

"I questioned whether to carry on or not, but the opportunity came with Northampton last minute.

"I either go all out and give it my best as it could be my last chance, or do I call it a day and do something a little bit more stable."

But a successful season with the Cobblers has got the adrenaline running through Anderson's veins once more, the player adamant he is stronger than ever because of his experiences.

"When you're in bad place you see negative things and don't look at the positives," he said.

"What I went though to get back to myself, a positive person who feels they're in a good place in life and fortunate, it's given me a better outlook on life.

"I'm doing by coaching badges and looking to go into that side of things after playing football. The way I've been treated, I've learned a lot about how not to be, which will make me a better coach and manager.

"I've not had everything given to me on a plate and I think I can have empathy towards players more than if I hadn't been through what I have.

"I'm trying to take the positives from negatives and think 'this has shaped me to have a more successful career post-football, whatever I end up doing.

"When you're down and out, you either grit your teeth and fight or give up. You have a better chance at life when you come through it."