Life could hardly be better for Callum Davies since dropping out of professional football.

The former Gillingham defender loves playing for Maidstone in National League South and has landed a top day job, working on multi-million-pound projects as a trainee quantity surveyor in London.

Some players think it’s the end of the world after leaving the pro ranks – but not Davies.

He said: “I’m enjoying myself more now than when I was a professional footballer. I’m embracing life.

“Football is a great career but unless you play in the Premier League or Championship, you are going to need to work after football.

“I might as well do it now and get a good CV, as opposed to wondering what you’re going to do.”

Davies, 23, sought work experience after Gillingham paid up the remaining months of his contract just before Christmas and was soon offered a permanent job in London.

He completes a trio of high-fliers in the Maidstone squad, with Joe Healy and Dumebi Dumaka working as city bankers.

Davies said: “I’ve gone from working two hours a day as a professional footballer to leaving the house at 6.30am and getting home at 9.30pm after training.

“It’s not easy to get into quantity surveying. I’m working on multi-million-pound projects, a £70m one the other day.

“It’s a bit scary because one mistake is the difference of a million pounds but the people in the office have been brilliant. I’m enjoying training and hopefully I’ll go on to my degree.”

Read the full interview in this week's Kent Messenger