"I felt a bit lost leaving Sheffield United, but it was the best thing that could have happened - and now I want to earn my way back"

Growing up in what he describes as "the bubble" of life at his boyhood club Sheffield United, Kyron Gordon found it hard to imagine what it could be like anywhere else. He had grown up a United fan, worked his way through the academy to the first team. His progress saw him linked with Manchester United.

He was, by any measure, living the dream.

But within the space of a few years, everything changed. United's situation at the time didn't allow Gordon to get the experience on loan that players his age were usually exposed to but, at the same time, he was competing with experienced professionals like Anel Ahmedhodzic and Chris Basham for a place.

As a result he fell between the cracks a little and his Bramall Lane career stalled somewhat, before he left on a free transfer three summers ago. Looking back now, heading back into the Football League as a play-off winner with Rochdale last month, Gordon harbours no resentment. But in a young man's life, never mind career, it was a defining time.

"After leaving, I felt a bit lost," Gordon admitted in the second part of our two-part interview in The Star. "It was the toughest time I've experienced. It was my boyhood club and I'd been there my whole life. You end up in a little bubble where you think you'll be there forever.

"Don't get me wrong, I was never going to play ahead of Anel or Chris Basham. I'm not that deluded. I just wanted a fair crack at going out on loan and playing games so I could come back a better player.

"I've never been bitter towards Sheffield United. I still want them to win every week. I've still been to games and some of my good friends, like Andre Brooks, are still there. I'll always support the club.

"But leaving was the toughest time of my life because you feel a bit lost. Looking back now, though, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me because I needed those games."

Even from the lowest point, the rebound was not immediate. Short-term deals at AFC Fylde and Rochdale followed before the latter gave Gordon the chance to put down roots and resurrect his career. And he took it, too, playing more than 100 times for them so far and helping them to a remarkable play-off win over Boreham Wood at Wembley.

"Rochdale made me vice-captain, so I've had to grow up a bit and become a leader," Gordon added. "I've just tried to take little bits from people like Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Ian Henderson. And I owe a lot to Jim McNulty as well.

"When I left Sheffield United, not many people seemed to want me, but he trusted me. He told me how good I was, how much he believed in me, and then he just played me.

"He almost left me to fend for myself, which I think I needed. Rochdale have helped me grow so much as a player and a person. It's been the best time of my life, to be honest."

The next step will come back in the EFL, a fitting reward for a player who was not content to stay put in comfortable surroundings and has instead had to work his way back up the hard way.

"I think no matter what level you're at, you need games. I didn't want to be one of those players who just sat in the Under-21s for years. Chris Howarth said something to me when I was at Sheffield United that always stuck. He told me: 'You're not a professional footballer until you've played 100 games.'

"Even when I was at Sheffield United, I didn't really feel like a footballer. Of course I had a contract there, but I wasn't an Ollie Norwood or a Billy Sharp. I had to go out and earn my stripes.

"My aim is still to play as high as possible and maybe, if things go really well, go back to Sheffield United. But I've learned not to get too far ahead of myself. When I was younger I was always worrying about where I needed to be next. Now I'm just enjoying my football, concentrating on my performances ... and letting things happen when they happen."