Scunthorpe’s Dave Syers did not have what you would call the average introduction to football: graduating from university before becoming professional at the later age of 22.
Syers, who is out for the season with a knee injury, signed for the club from Doncaster on a three-year deal in January after impressing in a friendly against the Iron’s reserve side. The match was particularly well-documented due to One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson making an appearance, but it was Syers’ two goals that caught the eye of Russ Wilcox, who was Scunthorpe manager at the time.
The 26-year-old is a footballer who has really had to work hard to be where he is today. Before becoming professional at Bradford City, he was playing in and around the Conference until the age of 22, featuring for the likes of Harrogate Town, Guiseley and Farsley Celtic.
“My time spent in non-league football has helped me properly appreciate where I am today and how far I have come,” said the midfielder. “I think it was really important for me to start playing senior football at the age of 16 as it helped me with the physical side of things while allowing me to develop as a player.”
Unlike most footballers, Dave Syers has a degree to his name: graduating from the University of Leeds prior to his career in football. He explained how he had given up on becoming a professional footballer so decided to complete his A Levels. After achieving two As and a B he chose to leave home in order to study Classical Civilisation at university.
He said: “It was a lot of reading and writing with not much lecture time but I thoroughly enjoyed my three year at the University of Leeds. It allowed me to play at a decent standard of society football as well as carry on my exploits in non-league. It worked out that by the end of the degree I was doing really well in the Conference North which eventually led to my opportunity at Bradford.”
It was not until 2010 that Syers completed his dream (and arguably every boys’ dream) of professional football. He recalled how, in a matter of days, he went from non-league Guiseley to scoring for Bradford against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.
“Peter Taylor, the Bradford manager back then, rang me on the Sunday asking if I wanted to be signed on non-contract terms in order to be involved in the game on Tuesday,” said Syers. “I remember warming up on the sidelines only to be told I was coming on at half-time.
“Playing in front of 6,000 fans was very daunting, considering I was used to about 400, but I scored almost straight away. That calmed me down. It was an unbelievable experience and one I’ll always remember.”
He has since enjoyed back-to-back promotions with Doncaster in the 2012/13 season and most recently with his current club Scunthorpe last term. Chris Mumby, media manager at the Iron, recalled how Syers’ celebrations differed from the rest of the squad.
“Everyone was singing with champagne on the bus, yet Dave was just sat nonchalantly reading his book,” he said.
Not only Dave Syers a talented footballer and academic, but he was also a gifted cricketer back in the day, averaging an impressive 75 runs every four innings.
His efforts helped his local side Farsley to the Priestley Cup Final, but he ironically could not play due to his newfound professional football career. However, he claims “it was never a choice between the two” as football was, and will always be, his first love.