It was a massive risk. I had a good coaching job at Leeds. A career I’d built up over five years. We had a life that was safe. Comfortable. And here I was, suggesting we swap it for a city in the middle of Sweden. In the middle of Scandinavia.

The middle of nowhere.

But it was too late to change my mind. I’d been sold on the idea.

Sold on two ideas, really. The first: simply the idea of being a manager, and putting into practice everything I’d learned. Over the previous five years I had been trialling things. Failing with some. Succeeding with others. Now I was ready to put everything I’d learned into practice. To see what worked in the real ‘results world’ of football.

I knew opportunities to manage in England weren’t going to be there – I’d been out of the professional game for five years since finishing my 13-year playing career. Östersunds FK was my chance to get back in.

“We arrived in Östersund, and reality hit. Almost as hard as the Arctic air that took our breath away the moment we left the airport”

And the second idea? That belonged to Daniel Kindberg, now the Östersunds FK chairman.

There was a clarity about him. It struck me the first time we met. He had a clear idea of what he wanted from the football club, and an understanding that Östersund’s location meant he had to do something different to get it. And I could see he had the courage to do just that.

He was a visionary.

Like I said, I was sold. On his vision of a football club that was different. A club that was looking to make a difference.

Then we arrived in Östersund, and reality hit. Almost as hard as the Arctic air that took our breath away the moment we left the airport.

The vision was still there, but suddenly it was fuzzy around the edges. Further out of reach.