From Parkview to Wembley, it is little wonder that Ben Garrity is quick to describe his rapid rise up the football pyramid as a mad 'rollercoaster'.
Just four years ago, Garrity was plying his trade with Lower Breck, in the Liverpool County Premier League, and Oyster Martyrs, in the Liverpool Sunday League. Now, he and his Port Vale team-mates stand on the brink of greatness.
Mansfield Town stand in the way of not just a Wembley win, but promotion from League Two to League One. It has been quite the rise for the Croxteth-born midfielder.
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“It has been mad. You dream no matter what age you are," he tells the ECHO when asked about going from local football to preparing to play at Wembley.
“Even some adults now dream of playing at Wembley who haven’t played there. When you are a kid that is where you want to play.
“The best stadium you can in your country and that is the pinnacle of it. It has been a rollercoaster, but hopefully there are many more trips to Wembley.”
The 25-year-old was part of the all-conquering Lower Breck side that swept past all before them during their time in the Liverpool County Premier League. While his Sunday side, Oyster Martyrs, are also serial winners both domestically and nationally.
And one word continues to crop up during our chat - sacrifice. Such was Garrity’s determination to succeed, he often sacrificed going out with friends in order to be at his best for both Lower Breck and Oyster.
“I have always wanted to push on and play professional football, but I think the reality is that you need a bit of luck to get chosen to be given an opportunity to go into full-time football," he recalls.
“I just think you have got to sacrifice yourself when you are playing on a Saturday and a Sunday. I used to like going out and drinking with my mates and stuff, but when I was at Lower Breck and the Oyster I used to take that quite seriously. We would always be going for stuff at Lower Breck and vice versa on a Sunday.
“I couldn’t go and party all night on a Saturday and then get up and play for the Oyster on a Sunday, because you are still coming up against tough opposition.
“Probably years ago people could just turn up to football and play. But I think the Sunday league in Liverpool now is very strong.”
But it was a move to Warrington Town which prevailed Garrity into the spotlight. Under the guidance of Paul Carden, the midfielder flourished and became a key part of a Town side that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Conference North at the end of the 2018/19 season.
“Playing with lads who are probably on loan from Academies or have come out of Academies, and people who have played in the league, you pick up stuff from them,” Garrity says on his time at Warrington.
“You can see when you are doing technical stuff they are probably a bit better than you. But I would say, especially in my first season at Warrington, we got to the play-offs and stuff, and it was a massive learning curve.
“It definitely helped me in terms of pushing on in the professional game because it is pretty intense and serious. It is not just like you turn up and play, you are training twice a week, and you are travelling all over England.
“It was a bit of a taste of what the professional game is like without being full-time.”
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the box-to-box midfielder. After an impressive debut season at Warrington, a move to Fleetwood Town looked to be on the cards. However, for one reason or another, the transfer never took place, but Garrity didn’t have to wait long for his chance to make the jump to the Football League.
“You are always hearing stuff like so and so might have been at the game, you just hear stuff like that, but nothing solid,” he replies when asked if he knew about interest from Football League clubs.
“The only solid thing was at the end of my first season at Warrington there was a bit of talk about possibly moving up to Fleetwood and having a go there.
“But then that fell apart, so I ended up back at Warrington because I had another year on my contract and I just had a good first half of the season.
“I started well, scored a few goals, and then I literally just got told the day or two before deadline day that Blackpool was probably going to sign me. I wouldn’t say I’ve been that close to signing somewhere.
“You get your hopes up and then it doesn't happen. I think I was just like, 'oh yeah, whatever', if it happens, it happens. But it ended up happening and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Garrity spent last season on loan at Oldham Athletic, and while he admits things didn’t go as planned for the club, for him personally the whole experience of playing regularly in the Football League was exactly what he needed.
“Oldham was a massive learning curve for me. In terms of playing there were no crowds so it was a bit different ," he reveals.
“But in terms of just getting used to League Football and learning about people and seeing what it was like to train everyday and then have a game on the Saturday.
“Last season was a massive learning curve for me. We didn’t do very well results wise but I learnt so much being out on loan and I spoke to [Neil] Critchley, who is the gaffer at Blackpool, the season I went out on loan and he was saying it will be so good for you and it was.”
A move to Vale took place last summer, with the former engineer moving to the League Two club for an undisclosed fee. Manager Darrell Clarke described him as a 'young, hungry and ambitious footballer with great energy and fitness levels' upon his arrival, and Garrity has explained how the club as a whole is the reason behind his side's incredible campaign.
He said: “The whole set-up at Port Vale. The training, the coaching and the players. It has definitely helped me this season in terms of learning so much and taking myself to a better position.
“Doing well obviously helps as well. It is not easy when you are down at the bottom. It is scrappy, but we have been there or thereabouts at the top end for the majority of the season.
“That is obviously good, but Port Vale in terms of the place, the players and the staff have helped me so much. I put it down to just the club who have improved me as a player so much.”
Vale’s clash with Mansfield is set to kick-off just four hours before Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the final of the Champions League in Paris. And although a number of Garrity’s friends are heading to the French capital, a strong army of Vale fans will be making the trip from Croxteth to Wembley to support the 25-year-old, and he is hoping his side can deliver the goods at the home of English football.
“You don’t want to play at Wembley in just a normal game, you want to be playing for something and I don’t think there is anything else you can play better for at our level than a promotion,” he says.
“It is good, but it won’t be as good if we don’t get that win. The majority of my family are coming and a few of my friends, but some of my mates are going to Paris to watch Liverpool.
“A lot of them are missing it so they are probably gutted about it. But I have still got loads of friends from around here who are coming. Hopefully we can seal it with a win for them.”
Garrity isn't the only Scouser to make his mark on the Football League this season having previously played Saturday and Sunday league football. Former Campfield forward Elliott Nevitt has just enjoyed a fine first campaign with Tranmere Rovers, and Garrity believes he and the 25-year-old are proof that you can achieve your dreams if you are committed to the cause.
“Elliott has had a boss season as well. He has done well and they were unlucky to miss out on the play-offs,” he said. “I just think no matter what age you are, you have got to sacrifice yourself and commit yourself and believe that you can push on really.
“You do need that bit of luck at getting noticed. Elliott playing at Wembley and scoring a hat-trick, his name is getting about probably two or three years before that.
“He could have been picked up himself, but obviously when he has been in the limelight it has helped him to get his opportunity and he has done unbelievable this season. I am made up for him.
“You have just got to commit yourself. Don’t be half-hearted and you have got to put in the work yourself as well, you can’t just turn up and play on a Saturday and a Sunday, you have got to train through the week.”
But as Garrity prepares to walk out at Wembley, he does so forever grateful for what Lower Breck and Oyster did for him in the early stages of his adult football career.
“I would never say an Academy is a bad place to start. Technical side of stuff you always see Academy players probably better at stuff, especially with using both feet,” he tells the ECHO.
“But the physical side of the game, I have learnt all of that from playing Sunday league football for Oyster and Saturday for Lower Breck.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for how much I have learnt from just playing with local lads from around mine and people from other areas. The toughness of Sunday and Saturday league has helped me so much in terms of the physical side of the game.
“Other than the intensity and fitness side, you don’t really get tackled in professional football like you do in Sunday league or Saturday league."
