Daggers' Wembley hero Danny Green almost quit football

Green scored for the Daggers at Wembley on Sunday

By Tim Hague
BBC Sport

Dagenham & Redbridge Wembley hero Danny Green almost gave up last year on his dream of playing professional football.

The 21-year-old was man of the match as the Daggers defeated Rotherham 3-2 in Sunday's League Two play-off final.

But he was considering his future while at Bishop's Stortford last summer before Dagenham moved in to sign him.

"I was probably going to quit football last year if nothing came up," said Green, who started his career at the Northampton Town youth academy.

"Two years ago I was definitely going to quit until Bishop Stortford gave me the chance."

Green, who scored with a right-foot strike at Wembley, also had a brief spell at Nottingham Forest that was blighted by injury.

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"When I got released by Forest with a bad injury, there were no calls, nothing," added Green.

"I then went on a coaching course and Martin Hayes [former Bishop's Stortford manager] was there and he gave me a chance to come and play, then it went from there.

"I've gone from a complete low last year when I was really depressed, not thinking about football but going out and getting a 'real' job, to a complete high this year and winning promotion.

"I can't put into words how I feel."

Green played in all 52 games during Dagenham's promotion campaign, scoring 14 goals and providing a further 16 assists - and is keen to acknowledge the role played by Daggers boss John Still.

"I owe everything to the gaffer really," he said. "He's given me a confidence to go out and express myself."

Still was in charge of Dagenham when they became a Football League club for the first time in 2007 and has now taken the Essex club to the third tier of English football for the first time in their history.

"Danny Green's been superb all season, absolutely fantastic," said Still.

"Lots of players have done their bit this year. Everyone has performed to their maximum.

"It's hard to explain to people how we do it, but we've done it and I'm so proud."