![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/martin-hayes-manager-dover-athletic-853729671.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAS a player, Arsenal fans could bank on home grown former midfielder and front man Martin Hayes.<\/p>\n
Now, 22 years after hanging up his boots, it\u2019s the public who can bank on him even more.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hayes – who was part of Arsenal\u2019s famous top-flight title success in 1989 and their League Cup win in 1987 – has worked in finance for the last eight years and describes it as \u201ca different world to my former life in football\u201d.<\/p>\n
The 57-year-old said: \u201cWhen I was around 28 years of age it started to dawn on me that I would need to sort something out for myself after playing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a footballer you are in a bit of a bubble. I was lucky enough to be able to coach and manage at non-league level but I still had to start over and get a proper job!<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough a friend, I started working for a Ford franchise selling cars which I really enjoyed. The one thing football gave me was the experience of being able to talk to people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have also helped Arsenal TV as a co-commentator which was a great experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThen eight years ago I started working for a merchant bank, Close Brothers in asset finance. The hours can vary and at times I have to work crazy hours.<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s a world away from what I used to do but they are an outstanding company to work for."<\/p>\n Hayes admits that growing up he played as much football as he could and developed from the school team, to district and then county sides.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n It was at the latter where he was spotted by both Arsenal and Tottenham.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cTo start, I had the best opportunities at Tottenham where I played alongside youngsters like Des Walker, Teddy Sheringham and Perry Suckling.<\/p>\n \u201cBut everything was a bit disorganised and in the end I switched to Arsenal, Des went to [Nottingham] Forest and Teddy moved to Millwall.<\/p>\n \u201cI was taken on by the Gunners for \u00a325 a week when I left school. They would name only four apprentices per season of which I was lucky enough to be one.<\/p>\n FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS AND BONUSES NEW CUSTOMERS<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI came in with Martin Keown, Gus Caesar and another youngster who never made it into the first team.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I moved into my second year my money went up to \u00a350 a week, new players arrived – this time Tony Adams, Michael Thomas, Paul Merson, David Rocastle and Niall Quinn.<\/p>\n \u201cThis nucleus of talent arrived in future years with the likes of Ray Parlour, Andy Cole and on and on.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople talk about the Manchester United Class of 92, but the Arsenal kids who came through in the eighties was pretty staggering.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen George Graham arrived in 1986 as manager he inherited this rich pool of talent and blended the players into a hugely successful era.<\/p>\n \u201cOriginally I didn\u2019t think I was going to be part of George\u2019s plans and he wanted me to join Huddersfield, but I wanted to stay and fight for my place.<\/p>\n \u201cBy chance I was sub for a League Cup game, ironically against Huddersfield and came on and scored the goal that got us a replay which we won at Highbury.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom there I got a few more opportunities and ended up being Arsenal\u2019s top scorer in the 1986-87 season with 24 goals, half of those were from penalties.<\/p>\n \u201cI started taking spot-kicks by default after George asked who wanted to take pens and I stuck my hand up.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom my highlights at Arsenal, few could top winning the top-flight title in 1989 at Liverpool which was effectively a play-off final between the top two sides in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cTo win that game in the manner we did was something I don\u2019t think will ever have the same dramatic last fixture head-to-head.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, everyone talks about the Sergio Aguero moment for Man City in 2012, but the fixture computer never allows the top two teams to play each other on the last day as we did 34 years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce again, I didn\u2019t want to leave Arsenal in 1990 but I had a mortgage and a young family and I wanted to earn more and Celtic gave me that opportunity. Sadly it never worked out there, it wasn\u2019t a good fit for me.<\/p>\n \u201cEven worse, I suffered a broken leg playing in an Old Firm reserve game.<\/p>\n \u201cI switched to Swansea in 1993 and had two wonderful seasons playing some great football under manager Frank Burrows.<\/p>\n \u201cI suffered so few injuries at Arsenal, but had a broken leg at Celtic, then two hernias and a fractured cheekbone in the latter part of my career.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter playing in the lower leagues, I knew I had to think of doing something else as far as earning a living, so I started coaching and managing in non-league.<\/p>\n \u201cIt niggles me that people say players of my era would struggle playing today with how football has changed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more inclined to think it\u2019s the opposite. I think I could adapt to playing on these pitches today and being one of five subs rather than the only sub.<\/p>\n \u201cI think today\u2019s players may struggle with our pitches and refs who allowed two of three very dodgy tackles before even talking to defenders. Football is so different today.<\/p>\n \u201cThe way I look at it is that like most of the big clubs today, Arsenal used to be a football club that did a little bit of business and over the last 40 years it has now become a club that is a huge business that does a little bit of football!.<\/p>\n \u201cThe chance to reflect on my football career is lovely looking back. I still think I underachieved. I\u00a0 do have a few regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s strange but one season I took 15 penalties for Arsenal and scored 12 of them, which I still think is some sort of record for the club from the spot in a season.<\/p>\n \u201cYet typically 40 years later I can still see the three I missed!"<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/SD-SPORT-OFF-PLATFORM-ALLIADIERE.jpg\")
<\/picture>BACK HOME <\/span><\/p>\nI'm a Prem winner who quit in ill-timed move – now I'm back in different role<\/h3>\n
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<\/picture>POWER UP <\/span><\/p>\nGet \u00a340 in free bets when you stake \u00a310 with Paddy Power<\/h3>\n
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