More than five years on, Ben Garrity vividly remembers the day that altered his life's trajectory. On January 31, 2020, it was business as usual for the fully-qualified plant engineer.

However, the following day, the part-time footballer would make a life-changing decision at work after securing a last-minute transfer to the Football League.

At 22, Garrity's work routine was interrupted by an unexpected call from Warrington Town manager Paul Carden, instructing him to leave work and get ready for a medical in Manchester, marking his leap from the Northern Premier League Premier Division to Blackpool in League One.

"I wasn't staying there, I was gone in a heartbeat," the now-28 year old recounted to the ECHO. "My boss understood, he knew I wasn't pulling his leg but when I went in the next day and said, 'I'm done', they were shocked, they didn't believe me at first, but then they were all buzzing.

"It was proper mad, really. Paul rang me just past midday and said, 'we're going to Manchester, I'll pick you up from yours, you're going to do your medical.' I was confused and had that doubt that it wasn't going to happen, I told my boss and he said, 'go on good luck'. It happened so quick, I'd gone from being an engineer one day to training with Blackpool the next - it was crazy."

Signing on the dotted line at Bloomfield Road marked a significant change for Garrity, ending his days of juggling engineering shifts with long away trips for Tuesday games and even working from six till 11 before a Saturday fixture for Warrington Town.

His commitment was put to the test during a gruelling 378-mile midweek round-trip to Morpeth Town, a journey that convinced Blackpool's recruitment chiefs of his potential to transition from non-league football.

Recalling the unexpected turn of events, Garrity said: "It was out of the blue, Paul knew before me but didn't want to tell me and we were playing Morpeth Town away," adding, "It was a big game, miles away, past Newcastle, we went down to 10 men and they battered us but we dug in.

"I remember speaking to the chief scout at Blackpool and he said he'd picked up from the game at Morpeth when we had 10 men, I was like, 'what?' I'd barely touched the ball, I was shocked but that was the game that stuck out for them."

By then, interest from the Football League wasn't entirely new to Garrity. He could have found himself in England's top four divisions six months earlier. A conversation with Carden while on holiday revealed Joey Barton's Fleetwood Town were interested. However, at the last minute, his dreams of a professional deal were put on hold, much to his frustration.

"I was buzzing, I was away at the time and they wanted to meet as soon as. I get home, in work one day and Paul rings me to say, 'go home, they want to meet you.'

"I go home, having a shower and I'm buzzing, then my phone rings and I had a weird feeling about it - it was Paul and he said they've pulled the plug. I was fuming because I had an opportunity to kick on so I was gutted in the pre-season with Warrington but it give me the fire."

The passionate Liverpudlian football fan, who famously snubbed the open trials for Liverpool at age 11 because he hated being told what to do, is now living his dream - just over two years since being told playing for his cherished Sunday league squad, Oyster Martyrs, was not on the cards.

With credits such as League Two playoff-final heroics and earning the title of Port Vale's Player of the Season twice within a mere five-year professional stint, Garrity not only boasts these accolades but also wears the captain's armband for the Valiants since this past August. Darren Moore's side maintain their grip in the fourth tier's top six, enjoying a four-point lead in their playoff berth, sitting eight points off the leaders Walsall and within striking distance of Wimbledon, merely two points adrift.

This article originally appeared on