Kurtis Guthrie interview: Inspired by non-league journey and his sister

Former trainee electrician Kurtis Guthrie went from being released by Accrington Stanley to cracking them in for Colchester United. Adam Bate caught up with the striker to get the story of Guthrie’s journey from Jersey to League Two with the help of his star sister…

With nine goals in 14 games and fresh from a League Two player of the month nomination, Kurtis Guthrie has every reason to be looking up. The 23-year-old striker has become a popular figure with the Colchester United fans as the team chase promotion. But Saturday's trip to Accrington is a reminder that it has been a tough route for Guthrie even to get here.

It was with Stanley in 2011 that the Jersey-born forward had his first stab at League Two. By his own admission, it was a testing experience for a teenager who had been training to be an electrician; one who had only known part-time football and island life. "When I went to Accrington," he tells Sky Sports, "I think it was too much too soon."

Technically, he felt prepared and still speaks highly of the amateur game in Jersey. But physically, the challenge of "smashing into people and running until you can't run any more" was a new world for the young Guthrie. "I had only ever trained once or twice a week so it was a big shock," he admits. "Training every day, my body just wasn't used to it.

"The boys coming in now have been used to the professional side of it since they were 13 so they are conditioned to it. But even at 18 I had been doing a job and just playing at the weekend. I didn't really feel like I had much guidance. It was sink or swim." Released at the end of that first season, he had a decision to make. Guthrie decided to fight.

She is one of the top players in the world at what she does. She is a real inspiration for me.

His elder sister Serena, a world-class netball player with more than 50 England caps to her name, was both an inspiration and a practical source of help. "She left home at 16 and went off to pursue her dream," says Guthrie with pride. "Now she is one of the top players in the world at what she does. She is a real inspiration for me.

"I came back over to see her in Bath, where my sister was playing at the time, and told her that I wanted to have a real good go at this. So I went to stay with her and signed for Bath on a non-contract basis and did well. Then I went to Welling and managed to win the league there before moving to Forest Green, one of the biggest clubs in that division."

Guthrie thrived at Forest Green but more importantly found the guidance he needed. He speaks fondly of his old manager there Adrian Pennock for giving him the opportunity to shine. He is grateful to assistant Jamie Day for the belief shown in him and to fitness coach Neil Withington for teaching him to live the right way away from the training ground too.

Most of all, he is grateful for the grounding in non-league, a very different world from the cosseted upbringing afforded those youngsters within the academy structure. "I have come from the very bottom so it made sense for me to work through the leagues," he explains. "Non-league massively helped me. I am so happy now that I went that route.

"It's the best thing I could have done, I think. Dropping down, playing week in and week out, and just learning my trade. I have played a lot of minutes and I don't really think the level matters. It's just important to get games. The experience of playing local derbies and stuff like that all helps down the line. Scoring goals is scoring goals whatever level you are at."

It has taken time for Guthrie to convince his coaches that this is his speciality. In his non-league days he had to bide his time on the wings before getting the chance through the middle, while Colchester coach John McGreal initially saw him as a support striker or even deeper. Now McGreal is calling Guthrie a "true No 9" and the goals are flowing.

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It's been quite a turnaround for player and team since November when a 13-game winless streak saw Guthrie go public with his relegation fears. Former Premier League defender George Elokobi returned from Braintree and Colchester subsequently went on a run of seven wins in eight games, culminating in a 4-1 win over Carlisle in which Guthrie hit a hat-trick.

"Since George has come in, he's really helped," says Colchester's top scorer. "The mood in the camp has been great and he has been great to have around because he's been there and done it. He can pass on his experience. Sometimes it is just a case of being honest with yourself and the people around you and working harder. You get out what you put in.

"The whole team have been doing that for the manager and everything seems to be going the right way. I would like us to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. There's no reason why we can't. We are certainly on the right path." What's clear is that Guthrie is now on the right path too.

So as he prepares to return to Accrington having established himself as a League Two forward to be feared, how does Guthrie reflect on the journey so far? "I think I've come a long way and hopefully I have a long way to go as well," he says. "I'm enjoying it and looking to push on." And the future? "Realistically, I think I can play in the Championship," he adds.

"I feel I've got the ability. It has to be my goal to get there." Not bad for a Jersey electrician. "I have started from humble beginnings and learnt such a lot so I won't ever take anything for granted," says Guthrie as he reflects on the alternative. "The difference in lifestyle is massive. Going to work in the dark, coming home in the dark. Working out in the cold.

"If you do this job right, you're playing with your friends all day and home by the afternoon. So the time that you are working you do it right, you appreciate it and you don't waste this chance as it's a short career." A career that could have been an awful lot shorter if Guthrie had not paid his sister that visit in Bath and worked hard to turn his own dream into reality.