Gabe Kircough turned out for Pontardawe Town and Penybont through the third, second and first tiers in his home nation before moving across the border

Gabe Kircough is eager to seize his opportunities in his second season at Forest Green Rovers after a valuable spell at the top of the Welsh football pyramid,

The Swansea-born defender took a more unusual route into the English professional game, turning out for Pontardawe Town and Penybont through the third, second and first tiers in his home nation.

And despite a lack of game time following his transfer last season, the 22-year-old believes he can make a difference to a Forest Green side who are wrestling with the departure of manager Robbie Savage.

He said: “I had never been full-time at clubs. It was my first time playing in England when I signed in January. It was a completely new experience, a new environment to be around a really talented group. It’s taken some adjusting, but I don’t feel out of place now. I’ve loved every minute.”

The Gloucestershire side currently sit mid-table in the National League, just three years on from their relegation from League One, but they remain football’s greenest club, due to initiatives such as serving exclusively vegan food and using recycled materials to make the matchday kits.

And despite the short hop across the River Severn, owner Dale Vince’s carefully considered club approach is a far cry from Kircough’s hectic schedule back in Wales.

He said: “I was trying to take the positives from it. I was playing for my college, for my school, for my youth team, for the first team at 16, 17 and 18. So I was playing sometimes four games a week, training every day.

“I was playing games constantly, so I think I learned loads from that. A lot of lads that were playing U21s football or youth team football aren’t getting that competitive age as well.

“Whereas if I’m playing four competitive games where results are really important, and especially playing for the first team at a young age, I learned a lot of transferable skills when you come into full-time football, where every game is massive and there’s a lot of money on the line for the club.”

A collaborative initiative with Plants & Flowers Foundation Holland saw potted plants placed in the changing rooms at The New Lawn to transform the high-pressure environment during Stress Awareness Week. And Forest Green’s style of football is also a marked contrast to that of Kircough’s previous clubs.

“[Penybont] were set-piece based, longer balls, getting off second balls, so it was completely different,” he said.

“Football wise, the style of play was taking some adjusting, but I think it suits me as well because I’ve come from a really physical league where you’ve got to be able to stand up yourself against big, strong men. To have that and then be able to adjust to the playing style, I think it creates a more well-rounded player.”