Picture: Paul Ternent

SACRIFICES in football come in many different shapes and sizes.
For Morpeth Town defender Curtis Coppen, it was a week away to Benidorm which fell by the wayside, to be replaced by a stint at the Jamie Vardy Academy.
Part of a TV show over the summer, the Leicester City striker, working with his agent, recruited over 40 non-league players so they could showcase their talents to league scouts in an effort to repeat his own path to the Premier League.
England international Vardy’s story started in non-league before being eventually bought by the Foxes prior to a Premier League title win.
Coppen was one of the illustrious few chosen and spent a week at Manchester City’s Ethihad Stadium training full-time and playing matches.
“I had to make my mind up because I had to cancel Benidorm for it,” Coppen told The Highwaymen.
“I was the lowest level player there in terms of which league I was playing in. When I got there it was non-league players but most of them were nearly Conference players which is full-time football pretty much. In the teams of 14 we were put in I was playing alongside the centre-half from Dover and they’re near the top of the National League. Technically I was one of the better players on the ball but it was a different class in terms of fitness.”

With nearly 100 scouts watching the big Friday games of the week, Coppen wasn’t selected but still enjoyed a tough week in the North West.
“It was a good week. I didn’t really enjoy the football side of it to be honest because I am not used to training every day,” he added. “I had to get used to it and I couldn’t in a week. It was a good laugh, I made some good friends with the players and the coaches, like Alan Stubbs; I beat him at pool!”

Despite not moving on this occasion, Coppen would make a summer switch when he joined The Highwaymen. Still something of a culture shock, Coppen admitted with refreshing honesty that it was a tough decision after only knowing life at North Shields prior to the transfer.
“North Shields weren’t going to sell me until after the Jamie Vardy thing because they would have got a percentage if I went to a league club,” said Coppen of a switch to Town which took longer than most. “It took two and a half months to sign for Morpeth. It’s good being here. I’m still getting used to it as I’ve known only North Shields. I knew I was coming to something different.
“Brian Smith took the job at North Shields and I didn’t know that. He is one of my best mates so that was tough. But the quality is a lot better here. At North Shields, if you play poorly you lost points. Here, you can play poorly and still win.”
Not that Karl Dryden will allow that to happen. A noticeable trend, one highlighted by The Highwaymen earlier in the season, is the keeper’s focus on Coppen, consistently bawling at the centre-back; sometimes for no reason.
“Karl shouts at me all the time and I don’t know what he shouts,” continued Coppen. “At Benfield, he was shouting my name and I turned around and just said ‘what?’ He’s only telling me stuff I already know!”