What begins to emerge the longer you spend in this mad profession is that you are always preparing for opportunity to strike.

Although I forged a career as an actor, performer, and musician, and now potentially, as a writer, when I was much younger all I ever wanted was to be a footballer and play for my heroes, Tottenham Hotspur.

I was born there and naturally became a huge fan of the team.

Well fortunately whist playing for a boys Sunday league side I was scouted and joined the Spurs youth set up for about a year and half - it was a dream come true.

Meeting the players, training at the real training ground, wearing the colours - it was an amazing experience.

I was in the same team as Vinny Samways and Steve Sedgeley.

Unfortunately they had ‘let me go’ because I was too little.

“Come back when you’re bigger”, they said. I still think of going back now, now I am bigger and asking for another bash at it.

Yet, around the same time I had, by chance, been enrolled in a week-long acting course at a young actors agency in London.

I didn’t want to go, I’d rather be playing footy with me mates, but my sister who should have gone, was ill and not wanting to forgo the money, I was the last minute substitute.

After some persuading I did go along and had a fantastic time partaking in all sorts of dance, movement, singing and acting.

The owner, actor Tony Boden, was impressed enough with me that he offered my mum the chance for me to be added to their casting book.

We had no idea what this was, but she said yes anyway.

So, within weeks of being ‘let go’ by Spurs and in reality the end of my football career, I had my very first acting audition for a TV commercial, and guess what, they needed a young cheeky chap who was really good at football.

Needless to say I got the part, which was the first professional acting I ever did.

My daughter had huge pleasure in seeking the commercial out on Youtube; it’s there, a kid playing football, drinking Lucozade.

I’ve not seen it since it was aired some 30 odd years ago.

I mean all I did was play football when the camera’s rolled. But after consuming crates of the product I’ll never drink another drop of that drink again, I can tell ya.

This column contains extracts from David Garlick’s forthcoming memoir, My Eyes, How Green! Broadway Davey G