Newport skipper Lee Jenkins has told how the horror of amputation is the fuel to realise a boyhood soccer dream on the banks of the River Usk.
Just four years back, Jenkins braving dark biting winters and early morning daily starts to surf peril as a chippy on the building sites, was rushed to Swansea's Morriston hospital after severing the index finger of his right hand.
A razor-sharp chisel had cut deep through a bone and brave heart central destroyer Jenkins can still feel the agony, smell the blood, see the flashing blue neon lights and hear the whispers of the deeply concerned medics.
Said the 24-year-old west Walian, "It all happened so quicky. One minute I was on top of the world after a brilliant weekend with the lads beavering away on site, the next in state of utter panic, my clothes saturated with blood.
"A tool had slipped in my hand when dealing with a slab of timber. A sharp edge cut into my finger so easily. I was in and out of consciousness, but trying to hang on to every word the doctors were saying at the hospital. Even now, I can't recall the frenzied journey from the site to the hospital.
"I have never spoken about it before, but left unattended, I could have bled to death. I can still feel the catastrophic agony and was having phantom pain from the disfigured finger many years later.
"There really was a chance that the finger would need to be amputated. The fact that it was saved, was down he skill and dedication of the nurses and doctors at Morriston Hospital. I owe them a great debt of gratitude."
The cracking emotion in Jenkins' voice and his admission that a trade in carpentry provides a solid guarantee to underpin a somewhat precarious life in professional sport, tells why a lad from the sleepy Welsh Cardigan seaside resort of Aberaeron etches such an impression with Newport County manager David Hughes.
Jenkins really misses the quaint streets of Aberaeron, the watering holes like Black Lion Hotel, the tranquil harbour and the rhythmic chatter of barter on Alban Square. Was this the inspiration for Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood or what drove the brilliance of opera star Sir Geraint Evans?
But Jenkins knew life sacrifice was needed if he was to make it as a soccer pro and the strapping Welshman is convinced a solid trade and the trials of everyday existence can now be the key to him powering on from success at League of Wales outfit Haverfordwest.
He said, "I can look back now at 24 and know I have tasted real life. That is more than many guys get who come through the academies of Premiership and Championship clubs. Life could be such a challenge for a player who is dumped by a club.
"I believe I did it the right way around. Yes, I am on less money now at Newport than I earned as a chippy and playing for Haverfordwest, but when the rumours of Newport's interest in me last January manifested into me signing a contract at Rodney Parade with the Gaffer in the summer, it all fitted into place.
"I now live in Cardiff. Of course I miss my friends and life in Ceredigion, but I am following my dream. I hope other players in the League of Wales follow my lead, there is so much talent in the section."
Jenkins pays tribute to former Cardiff City centre back Hughes and County number two Wayne Hatswell, the ex-Oxford United defender, saying, "Both guys played in my position. They are guiding me and want to see me reach my full potential as a player and as a person.
"It's those type of people, in addition to the togetherness of the squad, that convinces me we'll soon blast away from any trouble in League Two.
"The cup competitions can be a welcome break from the pressure of league football. I think the FA Cup and the Football League Trophy give one a chance to enjoy the glare of the national media.
"There has been plenty of careers who have been boosted by the success of a cup. Every one needs a break, I am no exception."