Valdas

Dambrauskas says he had known since the age of 12 he would not make it as a player, but coaching would keep him close to football.

He arrived in London in August 2002 aged 25 on a student visa with limited English.

What followed would be eight years of hard work where he would coach for community projects, at a semi-professional club, within professional youth programmes – and hold down multiple jobs while raising two children.

In 2004 he enrolled on a course in sports science and coaching at London Metropolitan University, the first real step in his career.

Then he started out coaching by volunteering with the Access to Sports Project for deprived children in Finsbury Park.

He went on to work with London Tigers, a charitable community organisation which runs teams from junior level right through to semi-professional.

Starting out as a volunteer, across five years he progressed to manage the first team in non-league football in the Spartan South Midlands League, FA Cup and FA Vase.

Dambrauskas became the first Lithuanian to achieve a Uefa coaching licence through the London Football Association.

“I went on every possible course, every possible conference, London Football Coaches Association meetings,” Dambrauskas said.

“Everywhere I could go just to gain some information, some knowledge, some extra diploma, extra course.

“That was very important for me and I took my chances.”

He got his first break at a professional club when Manchester United Soccer Schools took a chance on him in 2004.

Dambrauskas spent five years coaching on residential courses in the UK and in Europe.

“That was the best thing that could happen in my life,” Dambrauskas said.

“I went through three or four interviews. I will be forever grateful to [Foundation chief executive] John Shiels, the way he gave me this chance, because I didn’t have experience.

“I’d never been in a place with so many great personalities as I got in the Manchester United Soccer Schools.”

After a short spell with Fulham, Dambrauskas moved to Brentford. He credits academy director Ose Aibangee as one of the biggest influences on his career, pushing his limits.

All the while he was juggling home life and working multiple jobs to make ends meet.

“I was a gardener, a handyman, doing newspaper rounds at the beginning, also polishing floors in a pub,” Dambrauskas said.

“So many jobs. Working in retail, and then as a sports development officer, then a sports development manager, and the central YMCA.

“I was doing two, three, sometimes four jobs.”

As well as the trip to Manchester United this week, Sabah will complete their Champions League group games at Arsenal in January.

This also feels like fate for Dambrauskas – one of the buildings at London Metropolitan University on Holloway Road overlooked Emirates Stadium.

When asked about his time in England, Dambrauskas’ face lights up.

“When I hear this word ‘England’, it for me sounds like opportunities,” Dambrauskas said.

“It was really amazing. England gave me all this and I’ll forever be grateful.”