BIG INTERVIEW: Legend Solkhon is ready to take the next step

Every footballer, at every level, knows that when it comes to playing, they have a shelf life.

For some, a playing career could be cut short by injuries while, for others, it could go on for as long as is humanly possible.

And, for Brett Solkhon, the latter most definitely applies.

But, like anyone, Solkhon is only human and now he is seemingly ready to take the natural next step into coaching.

Solkhon, of course, needs no introduction in these parts.

A total of 598 appearances for Kettering Town along with hundreds of others for the likes of Brackley Town, Corby Town and St Ives Town have made him a legend - not just of one particular club but of the non-League game in general.

In short, his legacy as a semi-professional football is more than secure.

But now he is starting a new journey having departed Harborough Town for Wellingborough Town where he has taken up a player-coach role as part of Jake Stone’s management team at the Dog & Duck.

In typical Solkhon fashion, he scored on his debut in the Doughboys’ 3-1 win over Rothwell Corinthians in the United Counties League Premier Division South last weekend.

And while playing is still part of it all, there is now a bigger picture for Solkhon, who turned 40 in September, to focus on and that is coaching and, ultimately, managing.

“I left St Ives at the end of last season, they were brilliant to me,” he said as we met up for the first time in a long time over a coffee (which he bought for me, he asked me to make clear!).

“I wanted to move closer to home in terms of travelling. I wasn’t getting back from training at St Ives until 11.30pm, I have a young family, work is really busy and the old legs don’t do great in the car these days!

“I have known Mitch (Harborough Town manager Austin) for many years, we have great respect for each other and he just said to come in at Harborough.

“They’ve just been promoted to Step 4 so I thought it was a good opportunity. I got in there, I knew some of the lads and they have a brilliant set up there.

“But I got approached by Wellingborough to come and be part of the management team while continuing to play so I spoke to Mitch and we were in agreement that Harborough want to start looking forward now in terms of players.

“And when you get to 40, you become a bit of a stop gap for clubs.

“That’s not what I want. I want to start looking at furthering my career in football and I have been thinking about coaching and management for many years, even back when I was at Kettering.

“I wanted to play as long as possible and now it’s coming to the point where I’m a bit stiffer and the niggly injuries are coming so, rather than trying to play through all that, I would like to start taking that next step.

“Wellingborough came in, I spoke to the board and the manager and it was brilliant. They want to push for promotion, they don’t just want to settle for mid-table, they want to start progressing.

“With my contacts and experience, they wanted me to come in and I think it will be a great fit and hopefully the start of a new journey for me.

“There are things I have learnt from numerous managers over the years. They might not work for me but it’s the time to try and Wellingborough is a great club to start my journey.”

Given what he’s achieved in the non-League game, you’d think Solkhon would have had offers to, with the greatest of respect to Wellingborough, start this particularly journey higher up.

That, however, isn’t the way he does things.

He said: “I have had people call me in the last couple of years about jobs and going here and there. But it wasn’t the right time.

“I am still playing so I am not going straight into anywhere as a manager,” he said.

“Hopefully, I can go into Wellingborough and show them, on the pitch, the standards I have set for myself through my career.

“My first game was at the weekend against Rothwell and I prepared for that exactly how I did when I was playing for Kettering against Fulham back in the day.

“That’s how I have been brought up, it’s the standards I set for myself and the mindset I have.

“If I can show them and use myself as an example then that’s only going to help the boys.

“I still feel fit and I think I can help through communication but also on the pitch.

“I was at St Ives last year and we had Mike Ford come in and he was brilliant for me. He was always picking my brains about certain things.

“He let me take some meetings and things like that and he just said that I needed to use my experiences and show the younger lads why I still had the passion for the game.

“I have been in the game a long time as a player and it only feels like yesterday that I was playing against Fulham and winning the Conference North under Mark Cooper.

“But, all of a sudden, it’s gone.

“But, if I can show some of the boys the best ways to prepare for games and things like that, then hopefully it will help them, improve them and give them the chance of a long career no matter what level it is.”

So, what does Solkhon hope the end game to all of this is?

It doesn’t take him long to use his friend, former team-mate and manager Jon Brady as the perfect example of where he is aiming.

“I am just looking at the short-term at the moment and we will see how it goes,” he added.

“In the long-term, you will always need a bit of luck.

“But you only have to look at a good friend of mine in Jon Brady. I played with him at Rushden & Diamonds and at Kettering and then I played for him at Brackley.

“Now he is third in League Two at Northampton Town. I could tell back then he was a good coach and manager and it would always work out for him.

“I have learnt a lot from him and he’s only a phone call away.

“I will see where it takes me but management is the way I want to go. This is a great start on that ladder.”

For all he has achieved in the game, one thing has eluded Solkhon.

He still has hopes of ticking one more thing off his footballing bucket list before he finally hangs up his boots - playing at Wembley.

And while the road to the home of English football is a long one in the Isuzu FA Vase, Solkhon’s new club Wellingborough are still on it.

A superb 1-0 victory at Worcester City in the first round proper set up a clash at Anstey Nomads in the second round this weekend.

And now he is keen to help the Doughboys keep their Wembley dream alive while, with his coaching hat on, finding out more about the current squad at the Dog & Duck.

“The good thing about the FA Vase is that you’ve got a chance of playing at Wembley,” he added.

“That’s one thing I have never done in my career. So I am keeping my eye on that but it’s going to be a big test for us.

“From the coaching perspective, I am probably going to get more answers from a tough game against Anstey Nomads than I did from last weekend’s game.

“They are a good side but these are the teams we need to be beating in any competition to get to where we want to be.”