"KSI said, ‘We’re going to get to the Premier League, but It might take 20 years’ - it's not my job to tell him that's not possible” Dagenham & Redbridge chief exec outlines club's ambitious plans

KSI takes part in a photoshoot at Dagenham & Redbridge for the front cover of FourFourTwo magazine's July 2026 cover 393.

KSI's ambitions for Dagenham & Redbridge would amount to one of the most ridiculous ascents English football has ever seen if he is able to pull it off - but the club's chief executive believes there is nothing to be gained from refusing to dream big.

The YouTuber bought a stake in Dagenham & Redbridge in March, which chief exec John Grabowski described as 'transformative' for the club.

They are now set to kick off their season in the sixth-tier National League South away to Dorking Wanderers, and are approaching this campaign with high hopes of beginning a climb up through the English football league.

Dagenham & Redbridge are starting the new season with huge ambitions

KSI is a co-owner alongside former England striker Andy Carroll (Image credit: Getty Images)

KSI's ambitions for a sixth-tier club with a ground holding just over 6,000 fans were met with no shortage of cynicism - but Grabowski believes it's not so unthinkable.

After all, we've already seen Wrexham launch themselves from the National League to the Championship, where they finished just one place outside the play-offs last season and will be looking to go again and reach the top flight in the coming campaign.

KSI has enjoyed himself as Dagenham & Redbridge co-owner (Image credit: Getty Images)

Grabowski told FourFourTwo: “Everyone wants to know, ‘Cool, what’s the plan?’”

"It’s naive to think we have too grand a long-term plan, but it would also be foolish not to think long-term given the opportunity.

"We all know that in KSI’s announcement, he said, ‘We’re going to get to the Premier League.’

"The first time I heard that, I sort of went ‘Uhh!’ and did a little gut check, but it’s not my job to tell him that’s not possible.

"He followed it up quite quickly, saying, ‘It might take time, it might take 20 years’, and I think in that context, it is absolutely possible – why not us?

KSI in right in the thick of things at Victoria Road (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Phase one is to get out of the National League and back into the Football League, then once we’re in the Football League again, we’ll regroup.

"We’ve got other plans, but I think talking about those other plans before achieving phase one risks us getting out a little over our skis."

KSI is an owner of Dagenham & Redbridge – you can watch Race To The Top on the KSI Originals YouTube Channel