Goalkeeper who quit working in Portsmouth Nando's chain to pursue full-time football dream preparing to be part of non-league Boreham Wood's historic FA Cup trip to face Frank Lampard's Everton

Nathan Ashmore was working a regular shift in Portsmouth's Nando's branch when he received a call which would shape his footballing future.
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At the time, the current Boreham Wood goalkeeper was playing semi-professionally for Gosport Borough while spending his days as an employee at the popular Portuguese chicken chain in the Gunwharf Quays eatery.

And a show of just how far the Farlington-based former US Portsmouth, Hawks and Gosport stopper has progressed in the game since then will be viewed worldwide on Thursday night.

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For Ashmore and his Boreham Wood team-mates will be involved in the greatest moment in their club’s 74-year history, as they prepare to face Frank Lampard's Everton in an historic FA Cup fifth-round meeting screened live on ITV.

A seismic victory against the Premier League strugglers would see Wood become only the second non-league club to reach the last-eight since 1914. Current Pompey head coach Danny Cowley’s Lincoln City won 1-0 at top-flight Burnley to progress to the quarter finals in 2017 with a goal from his Blues defender Sean Raggett.

A Pompey fan himself, Ashmore, 32, might have been operating as a National League level goalkeeper for each of the past five seasons in spells with Ebbsfleet and Wood.

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But he will certainly will never forget his humble beginnings and ahead of the Hertfordshire club’s barely believable visit to Goodison Park, Ashmore recalled the unconventional way his move from part-time Gosport to full-time Ebbsfleet materialised back in March 2016.

Goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore is hoping to play a part in Boreham Wood's historic FA Cup trip to Everton on Thursday night Picture: Linnea Rheborg/Getty ImagesGoalkeeper Nathan Ashmore is hoping to play a part in Boreham Wood's historic FA Cup trip to Everton on Thursday night Picture: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images
Goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore is hoping to play a part in Boreham Wood's historic FA Cup trip to Everton on Thursday night Picture: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images

He told The News: ‘I worked in Nando’s for two years before I went to Ebbsfleet. I never, ever gave up (on full-time football ambition), I just felt I had to bide my time.

‘I was playing well at Gosport at the time - it was funny, we played a game on a Tuesday night and it was the last game I played for Gosport, we played away to Bath and got battered. We scored an early goal, got battered, but I played really well.

‘Our next game for Gosport was against Ebbsfleet, this was on a Tuesday night, we won the game 1-0. I remember being on the coach and I heard rumours that Ebbsfleet were interested in me.

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‘Obviously I kept it quiet, I didn’t think anything of it, but I had work the next day in Nando’s - I think I started at 12 (o’clock).

Nathan Ashmore spent three years with Ebbsfleet before moving to current club Boreham Wood, initially on loan, in 2019Nathan Ashmore spent three years with Ebbsfleet before moving to current club Boreham Wood, initially on loan, in 2019
Nathan Ashmore spent three years with Ebbsfleet before moving to current club Boreham Wood, initially on loan, in 2019

‘I woke up and I had loads of phone calls, there were phone calls from Ebbsfleet to Gosport, then I had the realisation that they wanted to bring me in.

Ashmore continued: 'It was chaos. I was at work, I was on the tills, my phone was blowing up all day. I remember - you’re only supposed to get a 20-minute break - but mine was well over an hour just trying to work out what was going on.

‘Obviously speaking to both of the gaffers, talking to Alex Pike (then Gosport boss) and I was talking to the gaffer at Ebbsfleet at the time, Darryl McMahon.

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‘Darryl McMahon phoned me up and said it was done and I was in tomorrow and he’d see me tomorrow.

‘Basically, I put my hand in the air and I was like, ‘right, I’m done,’ I spoke to one of the managers at Nando’s at the time and told them I was done. I was supposed to do like a 12-10 shift - I think I probably worked about an hour-and-a-half!

'It was good, it was exciting, I had to drive up there and stay in a hotel, I was in the next day and the first game was against Gosport - it was so funny.’

Since moving to Ebbsfleet six years ago, Ashmore has emerged as one of the most highly regarded goalkeepers outside of the Football League.

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After what has been quite the rise since his days with Gosport, the stopper has suffered a setback this season.

Ashmore has not played competitively since suffering a severe quad muscle injury in Boreham Wood's 2-1 National League defeat at Chesterfield on October 23.

An agonising four-month injury lay-off meant he missed out on featuring in unforgettable FA Cup wins over AFC Wimbledon and at Championship AFC Bournemouth in the previous round last month - not that it prevented him from joining in the wild celebrations.

Ahead of the visit to Everton, Ashmore has been an unused substitute in the league win over Eastleigh and draw at Torquay in their past two league outings.

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With Ashmore still getting up to full speed following his injury absence, Fulham loanee Taye Ashby-Hammond has retained his place after coming in to deputise in the autumn.

Ashmore, meanwhile, has made lifestyle changes in a bid to realise his dream of playing in the top four divisions.

‘It still is an ambition of mine (playing in the Football League). I know I’m a bit more experienced now, but I feel good,’ he declared.

‘I lost loads of weight in the summer, worked hard to keep my weight down - I’ve changed everything - the way I eat, I don’t drink beer or cider, I’m a whiskey drinker now. I’ve worked really hard to get my weight down and change my lifestyle.

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'I’m just trying everything to try to get to that next level. Obviously it would be nice to play in the Football League and I’m just trying to give myself every possible chance to play at that level.

‘It’s a shame I got injured at that time because I was playing well, keeping clean sheets, but I’ve worked hard to get back from injury and it’s onto the next step now.'

And whether or not Ashmore gets the nod at Goodison Park, he's looking forward to rubbing shoulders with an England star who also happens to be a fellow goalkeepers' union member.

He said: ‘I still think Pickford (Jordan) is one of England’s best keepers. Everyone has slated him, (but) I’ve always said in conversations - I’m always backing Pickford.’

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