Fabian Spiess: 'I turned down La Liga side before signing for Notts County'

Former Notts County goalkeeper Fabian Spiess has revealed how he turned down a trial at La Liga outfit Espanyol when he was 14 years old, a decision which eventually led to his signing for the Magpies.

The 22-year-old, who currently plays for Boston United, was spotted at an amateur tournament in Dubai by Mick Leonard, who was County's academy manager at the time.

Writing for the Lincolnshire Echo, Spiess said: "Just before me and my family were set to go to Dubai for a property search, I had the chance to go La Liga side RCD Espanyol for a trial.

"However, I turned the trial down. I would never have gone to Barcelona at the age of 14, it was simply too big of a move and, therefore, I didn't believe it was worth going for the trial.

"Some people would look back and think 'what if', but I would go crazy if every time I made a decision in life I thought 'if only I had done that'.

"The decision to go to Dubai rather than attend a big tournament in Spain changed everything for me.

"My stepdad's son was living in Dubai with his mother. He was playing for a local expat team, the equivalent of a Sunday league team.

"Before we left he told me to bring my football boots and gloves because they needed a goalkeeper for their game on Saturday.

"The game was at the Jebel Ali complex, a classy set-up where a lot of professional football teams go during their international breaks.

"After the game, a gentleman who was standing on the side came up to me and my stepdad. He said he had been watching me during my warm-up with my stepdad and that he was very impressed with what he had seen.

"His name was Mick Leonard, an ex-professional goalkeeper who had played in the Football League with Notts County and Chesterfield, among many others.

"He invited us to come down on Monday to do a session with him. After the session he said he was very impressed with me and that I had all the right attributes and great potential to become a professional.

"Mick was about to take on the job as academy director at Notts County. The youth set-up had been scrapped a few years before, but was being reopened and it was his job to fulfil this task.

"He invited me to go to Nottingham and have a trial at Notts County."

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