CLITHEROE’S Nathan Peel lived his boyhood dream when he signed for Burnley, but his time at Turf Moor brought him joy and despair in equal measure.

“At the beginning, it was a dream come true,” he said. “In my second game I came on as a substitute and scored twice against Plymouth Argyle, whose manager was Peter Shilton.

“It is 20 years ago now, but that day remains crystal clear in my mind.

“Shilton palmed Adrian Heath’s shot away and I just knocked it over the line and into the net. I thought my heart was going to explode.

“Then, I buried Mark Monington’s cross past Shilton. To see one of one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time flapping at my shot is a moment I will treasure forever.”

The Clarets won 4-2 and Peel, a bustling, powerful number nine, recalled: ‘I thought this is the life – I’ve made it.

“A couple of days later I was coming home from training and a lad was hanging out of his car window at Whalley traffic lights shouting: ‘There’s only Nathan Peel.’ “It was daft. People clapped when I went in a shop in Burnley to buy some apples.”

But the reality was very different as he fell out with the manager and his Turf Moor adventure turned sour.

“Looking back, I should never have signed for Burnley,” he added.

“The draw of Turf Moor was just too much, though. I let my heart rule my head. I knew the manager, Jimmy Mullen, didn’t like me, and I had little respect for him.

“To be honest I don’t know why he even bought me. It was a total privilege to play for Burnley, but I wasted my football potential at Turf Moor.

“It was a very odd situation to be in and when Adrian Heath, who had replaced Mullen, handed me a free transfer I knew it was the right decision.

“I’d contributed very little there, apart from the sky-scraping high against Plymouth.”

Peel had kick-started his professional career just down the A59 with Preston North End.

“I scored on my Preston debut – a 3-3 draw at Reading. I was on £28.50 a week, but every day was fun.

“I even got fan mail from girls. They’d write to Nathan Peel, c/o Deepdale and say, ‘Dear Nathan, have you got a girlfriend?

“One girl even sent me a whole collection of ties. I’d drive home to Clitheroe, thinking I knew how the Beatles felt.”

Disillusioned with professional football, he drifted into the foothills of the non-league game, including a spell with Clitheroe.

He added: “I knew my time was up when I was playing for Barrow. We were losing at half-time and the manager came into the dressing room going off his head, chucking boots around and stuff. He said you lot could be shopping in Tesco this afternoon. I just thought ‘I’d rather be in Tesco than playing football.’ “I’d lost my passion for the game and I never kicked a ball again.”

Stepping out into the real world can be an ordeal for many ex-players but Peel has since found his true calling in the teaching profession.

“I left school with two GCSEs and I wasn’t qualified for anything,” he added. “It was a frightening situation and I had no idea which way to go in life when football ended.

“I’d always had a good income from football, but suddenly there was nothing and when I lost all my savings in a business venture that went wrong I felt down and out.”

Peel’s life was to change completely, however, when he walked into a disabled children’s school and the door swung open on a fresh chapter in his life.

He said: “It sparked something inside me, and from that moment on I wanted to help and teach children.

“Through a lot of hard work and sacrifices I gained a degree in sports science and health studies.

“The graduation ceremony was the proudest moment of my life, far better than playing in front of 40,000 at Liverpool or Spurs – which I did with Burnley – because I’d achieved it through my own graft and application.

Last year he coached his old school – Clitheroe’s Ribblesdale High School – where he now teaches PE, to the final of the English Schools’ FA Cup.

“They were unbeaten for 14 months and played nine ties to reach the final,” he added. “Scoring goals provided me with an instant hit, but teaching and helping children provides a constant high and is far more rewarding.”