Andrew Warshaw speaks to new Towners signing Adam Thompson

Adam Thompson celebrates scoring against Salisbury (credit Tom Scott)

Adam Thompson admits he didn’t know much about Enfield Town when he joined the club back in October.

But in virtually no time at all, he has not only filled a desperately needed gap at the heart of Town’s defence, but won the club’s ‘player of the month’ award for November, become an instant fans’ favourite and has already worn the captain’s arm band.

Non-league football is full of ex-professional players who, for a variety of reasons, end up plying their trade at a lower level. Some embrace the challenge, others never quite manage to adapt.

Tommo, as he is nicknamed, is undoubtedly in the former category despite having played for a plethora of pro clubs including Watford, Southend, Bury, Rotherham and, latterly, Leyton Orient, from where he came to Enfield.

Used to competing before four or five-figure crowds, Adam, 32, could be forgiven for harping back to his pro days. Not a bit of it.

“I look at the positives in everything,” he told the Dispatch. “I actually prefer playing before the kinds of crowds we get at Enfield. I can see my family before and after games and be close to the fans. You don’t get that personal feel at bigger stadiums.”

Speaking in the week before his partner was due to give birth to their third child, you get an instant understanding of how important family is. But football comes a close second.

The Towners haven’t just acquired a seasoned pro but an international defender who played twice for Northern Ireland when he was just a teenager, by virtue of his maternal grandmother. Adam’s two senior caps came against Scotland and Republic of Ireland but he thought it was a joke when he got the call-up. “I didn’t even know I was eligible,” he explained. “It was an unforgettable experience.”

Nigel Worthington was Northern Ireland manager at the time, one of a number of bosses under whom Adam his built a wealth of knowledge and experience. Others, at club level, include Malky Mackay, Sean Dyche and Gianfranco Zola. “They all taught me different things, like hard work and how to be a leader, all the things it takes to become a successful footballer.”

These are exactly the qualities that Adam, who was forced out of the pro game through injury and surgery, has brought to Enfield Town as they battle to stay in National League South and why he is so highly rated by the management team.

Training twice a week instead of daily has taken some getting used to but the fact that he shows no air and graces has only added to Adam’s popularity. “I was planning to stay in the pro game, but it wasn’t to be. I had spoken to [Enfield manager] Gavin Macpherson before and we just stayed in touch. His temperament was one of the things that persuaded me to come, plus the fact that I live ten minutes away.”

Has it been a culture shock? “It hasn’t been like that at all. At Rotherham we just used to welly it up the pitch. We play better football at Enfield. The training is far more intense than I imagined, and it’s so well run. When I was at Barnet we had to wash our own kit – not here.

“Right now I’m an Enfield Town player and at the same level as everyone else. There’s no point in living off anything that happened before. I have nothing but admiration for the lads, most of whom have full-time jobs.”

Having completed a psychology degree, Adam looks like carving out his own career. He’s also undergoing a sports directorship course and running a mentoring business. But for now, it’s about helping Town stay up.

“I’ve been blown away by the support – even when we lose. It’s unconditional when we go over to them at the end of games and I still can’t get my head around it. I’ve never experienced that before and would love to give them something back.”

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