Many of us enjoy visiting our local non-league club at the weekend and during the week. We finish work, watch the match and head home ready for a new day. But what about the players who have to fit in their work commitments around the football? How do they do it?

The Echo will be speaking to non-league stars from across south Essex this season about how they juggle two of life’s most crucial aspects – work and football.

This week we speak to Great Wakering Rovers striker JAY NASH, 22, who scored the equaliser on Tuesday against Tilbury.

SATURDAY

Saturday is a busy day for me. I am a football coach in Rayleigh so I have to get up at around 7.45am in order to get to coaching on time.

I work for a football club called Academy Soccer and spend my Saturday mornings training the Under-13's Tigers. They are a great group of kids.

After that it is game time and I normally get to the ground around 1.30pm to give myself some time to chill out and relax before focusing more on my preparations for the game.

This Saturday we were away at Ware. Often I drive to games and pick up a few boys on the way unless it’s far enough away where the club offer a coach for players and fans.

It was always going to be a tough game at Ware after the start we’ve made to our season.

As most people are aware, we haven’t had the greatest luck during the start of our season and ended up conceding late despite taking the lead to lose 3-2.

However, on a positive note, we are beginning to take our chances in front of goal and it has shown consistently through our opening games. We are improving as a footballing side and are without a doubt more than capable of competing at this level!

After the footie I head home and the evenings normally include watching the highlights from the rest of the games that day with some dinner before I head to bed – unless the lads have organised a night out!

SUNDAY

During the season my Sundays are taken up with Academy Soccer. I coach the team each Saturday and we play our games on the Sunday. It is an exciting time for the boys this year as it’s their first season at 11-a-side and I am really enjoying it too. I am confident the team will do some damage in the league this year.

MONDAY

During the day you’ll find me either teaching PE in one of several primary schools within the Southend Borough or working as a personal trainer based in Leigh-on-Sea.

I have been working with primary schools in Southend for the past two years to gain experience for when I finish my teaching degree at the University of Essex.

I am up to get into work for around 8am and the morning involves session and lesson planning for the children (at schools including Thorpedene Primary School, Porters Grange Primary School and Nursery, St Mary’s Prittlewell CofE Primary School, Bournes Green Junior School and Earls Hall Junior School).

When all of my lesson plans are complete I would be teaching at two, sometimes even three different schools throughout the day leading different sports and PE lessons.

In the evenings, I always give myself plenty of time to chill out and make sure I have a decent meal the night before a match. I will usually watch a bit of Monday night football too!

TUESDAY

Another day at work and tonight we have a big game against Tilbury tonight. The teaching is normally complete around 4.30pm which allows me plenty of time to prepare myself for the game.

When I am personal training I manage my clients to allow myself time to prepare and, because I work locally, it’s not a time issue when it comes to getting to games or meeting points for the coach to avoid fines (although I always manage to pick up a fine somehow along the way!) My mum, dad, girlfriend (who I have been with for more than eight years), aunt and grandad are always in the crowd as often as they can be and it has always been the same no matter whether it is home or away.

Tilbury was a very frustrating game for us. We started sharply and were playing well but we ended up conceding two sloppy goals in the first half.

It was a big boost when George Artemi managed to nick one back just before half-time and we came out in the second half very strong.

It was great for me to be able to score the equaliser and add another to my tally but I think I speak for everyone when I say we definitely deserved all three points and we are gutted that it didn’t happen!

Anyway we have Barkingside at the weekend so I look forward to that one!