Southend United defender Peter Gilbert, currently studying sports journalism, has been chatting to team-mate Neil Harris about his career for this exclusive southendunited.co.uk article.
When a player pulls on his shirt everybody see's him as a member of a team, but what people don't see is a group of individuals that have been on different journeys in life.
None more so than Southend United striker and Millwall legend Neil Harris.
Looking at his career and achievements you will see he has had the highs playing for his hometown club, a FA cup final appearance and recording breaking seasons at Millwall but the biggest low being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2001, all players go on journeys but very few will be like his.
As a Southend boy his journey started the same as millions of youngsters all over the world eating, sleeping and drinking football. From Playing in the street with his mates to watching Southend United with his late father he fell in love with the game.
"Since I was a nipper I can remember kicking the sponge ball around the front room and it was my parents that said I need to use my energy. So I ended up at my local team in Rayleigh at six-years-old, then my father started taking me to Southend games and it just went from there," said 34-year-old Harris.
But as he grew and started to realise he had a special gift this is where the similarities stopped.
Neil remembered: "I had a gift to play the game but it was something that I loved and still love, I used to watch everything recreating the picture of seeing players scoring goals whether it was in the lounge with my sponge ball or on the pitch with my mates I just loved scoring goals."
With his Family and more specifically his dad beside him, Neil 'Chopper' Harris as he is affectionately known, had the perfect support to go out and show what he can do.
With scouting networks not like they are now, young players 20-years-ago relied heavily on local scouts. This paid off for him when he was given the opportunity to train with Southend and Leyton Orient. After having a taster of this he decided to turn down the contracts offered by both clubs and opted to start his journey a more unconventionally way when he left school at 16.
"At that stage of my life and career I didn't fancy a apprenticeship cleaning baths and dressing room walls I just wanted to play so that's why I went the non league root and came in at a later date," he said.
Instead Harris took the root of starting in the non-leagues, training twice a week and gaining an education at college where he met the girl who would later become his wife.
Many young players think there opportunity to play regular first team football is a lot greater in the non-league game rather than getting stuck in the more usual way of leaving school and signing at a professional club, which involves trying to work your way through by serving your apprenticeship and dreaming of turning pro.
This was a huge risk that could have backfired quite easily with the numerous distractions young men face including alcohol, friends, injuries and lack of form. If any of these problems occurred you'd have to ask yourself where would my career go from here?
These are all things that being at a full time at a professional club you learn about, but this would be the making of this young hungry striker. No doubt that the bravery shown here when so many would have made the more obvious choice has helped him deal with the bad times in his career better.
Chopper decided that Great Wakering Rovers was the best place for him playing on Saturday's and for the reserves and the youth team on a Sunday. It didn't take long before he made his mark and was moved into the fist team aged 16 earning £10 appearance and £5 bonus.
This was just the start for the young striker whose career really started to take off when he made the bold move to leave Essex for Cambridge City.
The moved paid off immediately scoring 43 goals in 64 games creating interest from clubs home and abroad but it was Millwall who secured the services of Harris aged just 20 when they had a bid of £30,000 accepted. This time when the opportunity of full-time football came along he decided the time was right to leave the non-league scene and office job behind to follow his dream.
An instant hero with the Lions faithful Neil won the Player of the Year award in his first full season and helped Millwall gain promotion from the Second Division with a fantastic goal scoring record that saw him earn the golden boot.
To be the top English goal scorer in the 2000/01 season was a remarkable achievement earning him a new four-year deal. With his girlfriend and family behind him life couldn't be going smoother until in May 2001 when he was tragically diagnosed with testicular cancer.
An earth shattering blow for anyone but at the age of 22 it was a real shock that left him feeling completely numb. With all his hard work and career flashing before him a lot of issues that were causing extra stress were put to bed when he met Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis.
"Being diagnosed was just a complete disaster for me, my family and the club but fortunately I couldn't have been at a better club, they really looked after me. Theo Paphitis was the chairman and was first class. The first thing he said was that the contract would be honoured, that was a huge relief to my family and me. It just allowed me to just concentrate on beating it," recalled Millwall's all time leading goalscoring.
After intensive treatment and surgery Harris returned to first team action around four months later something he admits was far too soon. After this devastating set back it wouldn't be until Boxing Day that he would be back playing regularly.
A real milestone with such a horrific illness came when he got the all clear a year after being diagnosed prompting him to set up his own cancer charity "The Neil Harris Everyman Appeal" which holds fund raising events, the most recent only weeks ago. Its something he cares deeply about and sees it as his chance to give something back.
With all the support he got from the club it was a gut wrenching time when he realised his time had come to a end, often when new managers come in they have new ideas and sometimes your face doesn't fit. This moment happens to the majority of footballers and in 2004 after a brief loan spell at Cardiff City, Neil joining Nottingham Forest where he spent a frustrating three seasons.
A very difficult time professionally and privately living so far from home in Essex was made a lot easier when he got the opportunity to kick start his career in much more familiar area back in the south east when Gillingham required his services.
Living back home really got his hunger back for the game he loves so much and after a year on loan in a bizarre twist Millwall once again saw what he had to offer and he rejoined them in 2007.
This was to be the period of his career he will be most remembered for. Harris had his eyes on being Millwall's all time top goal scorer held by none other than Teddy Sheringham. He waited until 13th January 2009 to achieve this in a 3-2 away win at Crewe. Held in such high regard by the famous Millwall fans a mural painting of him in the style of Banksy was painted outside the New Den in a showing of appreciation to their hero.
In 2011 after 138 goals in 432 games an opportunity would arise that would cap off a fantastic career of highs and lows when his boyhood club Southend United offered him the chance to finish his journey where it all started with his late father on the terraces.
Though Harris had a year left at Millwall the pull that his home town club had over him meant too much and in June agreed to terminate his contract allowing him to fulfill a life long dream and sign a three year contact. A fitting way to finish his career.
"I always wanted to come back and play here, sometimes I thought the opportunity had gone. To come back now is fantastic, it just seemed the right time to leave Millwall and I have certainly got no regrets," said Harris.
A journey like no other and a inspiration to everyone Neil Harris has proved you can do it your own way, as long as you have the bravery and most important self belief.
Southend's player/coach Graham Coughlan had nothing but praise to say about him,
"Since Choppers come in he's been a breathe of fresh air, a joy to play with and coach. Any young players wanting to make it should look up to him," said the Irishman.
A real modern day role model for all youngsters wanting to make there own journey in the beautiful game.
