Kevin Ellison: Veteran forward happy to absorb Newport play-off 'pressure'

Kevin Ellison is mobbed by Newport team-mates after his goal in the semi-final second-leg win over Forest Green Rovers

But for a call from Newport County manager Michael Flynn last summer, Kevin Ellison might have had to skip work to be at Wembley on Monday.

Instead, at the age of 42, the evergreen forward will be involved in a League Two play-off final against the club where he spent most of his career.

"It's a bit mad really, the day I actually drove to Newport to train with the lads was the day I was meant to start in a factory at 6am," he said.

"Because I am greedy and I was looking for jobs, at 8am, I stopped in the service station and took an interview over the phone for a SEN (special educational needs) teacher. Now here I am going to Wembley."

When it comes to football fairy-tale stories, it does not get much more extraordinary.

His goal in the play-off semi-final second leg at Forest Green Rovers made him the oldest player to score in this format, helping Newport win a remarkable tie 5-4 on aggregate.

Ellison, whose more than 600 league appearance includes a Premier League outing for Leicester City against Manchester United in 2001, would not have wished for anyone but Morecambe, spending nine years there until his release last season.

The arrival of manager Derrick Adams seemed to sour the relationship, with Ellison celebrating his goal in Newport's 3-1 league win at the Mazuma Stadium in March with some vigour in front of the Morecambe boss.

Much has already been made of that incident ahead of the Wembley showpiece and Ellison believes he is actually taking pressure off the other Newport players with the attention focused on his bald head.

"I am glad what happened early in the season at the Mazuma where I got my little bit of payback and my emotions out," Ellison said.

"For me now I am going into this game concentrating on Newport v Morecambe, its not me versus whoever.

"I think some people will look at it as Kevin Ellison playing Morecambe and he has had this with their gaffer.

"But at the end of the day I will take that pressure, I am not going to talk much about it leading up to the game and hopefully I can take the pressure off the lads, we can do the job and get a win."

Kevin Ellison pointedly celebrated in front of the home bench after scoring in Newport's league win at Morecombe this season

That said, the way Ellison was treated in his final days with the Shrimps clearly still rankles. And he hopes his place as a League Two representative on the board of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) will allow him to instigate change.

"I was disappointed. I had been there for over nine years and had given my heart and soul to the club," he said.

"I had missed kids' birthdays and Christmases for the club and then all of a sudden, right from the top, not just the man in charge, I was treated unfairly.

"But that is how it goes in football. It's a cruel game and that's how it works.

"I am on the PFA board now, speaking to pros and ex-pros who have been in similar situations. This is one thing I am going to try and nail down, because I don't think it should be allowed at football clubs."

Ellison admits his PFA role is also driven by a desire to help others avoid what he calls the "dark times" he suffered during his career.

"They looked after me when I went through a sticky patch and some of my dark times a couple of years ago," he said.

"I knew I had to reach out to them. They have given me help over the years and it's something I can pay back to them and help them going forward to help others."

One of the lowest points of Ellison's time in football was the aftermath of a Wembley defeat, as Rotherham were beaten 3-2 by Dagenham and Redbridge in the League Two play-off final in 2010.

• Ellison savours win over Forest Green

Ellison said: "It ruined my summer. As soon as that finished, the World Cup started and I found myself downing a few bottles of a flavoured fruit cider drink, and it came to the summer holidays with the kids and mentally I was not there.

"It played on my mind for a long time to get over, it was heart-breaking."

That hurt still remains, but he hopes this Wembley visit will be different: "I am going to soak it up, I will be a bit more present.

"I am going to relish it, enjoy the whole day. To make it even better would be winning the tie."

Whatever happens on Monday, Ellison, is not thinking of retiring - or as he describes it "the R word".

"People will say you cannot do this for long or you cannot do that because you are 42 now, but I showed on Sunday there is a bit of life in the old dog," he added.

All of which begs the question, what Ellison might be doing now if he had not received the call from Flynn?

He said: "I'll be honest, I probably would have had a day off at the factory and be at the final.

"I have been to a few play-off finals over the last few seasons when I have not been involved. Me and my little lad love football."