Retiring from professional football before the age of 30 can be a daunting experience for some and a perfect break from the extreme daily pressures for others.
Lewis McGugan is someone who was forced to quit in 2018 after a succession of injuries and battles with mental health. Following a short spell at Northampton Town, he had unsuccessful trials at St Mirren, Port Vale and Bradford City where he failed to prove his fitness, and decided to end his playing career at just 29.
It all started for McGugan when he came through the ranks at Nottingham Forest, making his debut in 2006 in a League Cup win over Gillingham. He cemented his place in the Reds side, featuring over 150 times in the Championship before signing for Premier League chasing Watford.
The former midfielder spent two years with the Hornets and also had a stint with Sheffield Wednesday, where he was completely frozen out by Carlos Carvahal. However, after a couple of years away from the game, McGugan decided to return to football back in December as the assistant manager at eighth-tier Loughborough Dynamo.
He arrived at The Moes to assist first-team manager Brad Munn, who replaced Lee Attenborough following his departure in October. They are the youngest managerial duo in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division with a combined age of just 61 and guided the club to a 13th-place finish.
"I have loved every minute of it," McGugan said. "I have taken to it more than I expected I would. I knew I wanted to get involved in management and coaching, but I wasn’t really sure of the level that I was going in at.
"Obviously, the opportunity came about that I could get into Loughborough, and I have been quite surprised at the standard, the level and the professionalism of the club and the league. It’s a credit to non-league football, so I am just happy to be a part of it.
"I have gone in there with my eyes wide open and understood that there is a job there to be done. Everything that has happened, even though some of the results and performances haven’t gone our way, it is a chance to learn and use that as knowledge to build on for next season."
Having never played or been involved in non-league before, McGugan was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the standard. He isn’t the only ex-professional involved at this level, with former Celtic defender Kelvin Wilson amongst the coaching staff at Ilkeston Town, while a number of other players have also plied their trade in the EFL.
Jonathan Margetts, who came through the Hull City academy and played for Lincoln City, Tranmere Rovers and Cambridge United, is now at Stamford, while ex-Luton Town and Newport County striker Aaron O’Connor is leading the line for Carlton Town. Craig Mackail-Smith, Marcus Maddison and Carlos Edwards have all played against Loughborough in the past.
"I was very surprised at the professionalism," McGugan added. "I have been very fortunate enough to play at a decent level throughout my career, but if you want to get onto the management ladder and ply your trade, what you have to do is you have to go into these situations with your eyes wide open and not be naive to what you may see.
"If anything, I have been more surprised and taken back, some things have been better than I thought. Coming from a personal point of view, you have to go into these challenges with your eyes wide open and I was very aware of what was going to be there.
"You have to want to do it, you have to love football, you have to think about football constantly and I do, I always have done. If you want to do it, it’s an absolutely fantastic opportunity and platform to get involved with.
"But I think you have to really love the game. When you look at it, the really good thing I have found about being back in the footballing environment is the honesty you get. It reminds me of being a kid that football is still like that."
Loughborough started the season impressively, winning six and drawing one of their opening 10 league games, but a slump in form saw them drop from play-off challengers down to just below mid-table heading into Christmas. McGugan’s first game in the dugout proved to be a successful one, as The Moes recorded a 3-2 win over Spalding United before they beat local rivals Shepshed Dynamo 5-0 in early January.
But The Moes struggled for consistency during the second-half of the season and finished the campaign with just one win in six matches. Despite a disappointing final month, McGugan is taking the positives from his first spell in management and is hoping to build on those moving forward.
He continued: "Me and Brad spoke constantly, even before I came on board. I was aware of what was going on and what the situation was like. We just needed to get to the end of the season, we had to use it as a platform to see where we need to improve or build on.
"So, in terms of results, you want to try and win every game you are involved in. But there has always been a bigger picture to what we are doing. We are already hard at work now and you will see the difference next season."
