A YOUNG football coach is celebrating a major milestone for his academy, describing the "honour" of his life. 

Jack David, from Pontypool, is set to celebrate 15 years of his own company, the Jack David Football Academy later this week on Thursday, October 10.

Mr David says he wanted to start the company after feeling that he wanted to do something both for himself and the local community, and to prove to other people that he could do anything he put his mind to.

He told the Argus: “More than 15 years ago, when I was thinking of setting up my own company, the first ever response to my idea was 'you're no David Beckham. No one will come to you.'

“I took that as a lesson to learn and found that if you are thinking of starting up your own business in Wales, you do not need anyone else, just yourself.

“The key I found was when you’re starting out with or operating a business, you shouldn’t listen to anything negative in your life

“From a young age I was told that if you want something in your life, you have to go and make it happen. You can’t rely on anyone or any organisation to give you a job, so you have to rely on yourself.”

Despite the challenges he has faced over the years, Mr David has found that starting his own academy has “been an honour”, and something he would not have ever imagined for the company.

Through a tough journey of personal discovery, he realised that t he special ingredient to make a successful business is making sure that you “graft on every element” to make sure the company work, including the smaller parts as well as the bigger parts.

He said: “I learnt not to hold back and go out and get what I want. I had to remember that the only person actively stopping me achieving what I wanted was myself, and that we only live once, so I should be proud of what I have managed.

“It’s really important to remember to enjoy and love what you do! I’ve learnt over the last 15 years that it’s so important to do that especially in the dark moments, by surrounding yourself with the right, positive people and preparing yourself for the challenges you’ll likely face.

Mr David says it has been a “privilege” to witness the scope of success of his clients in a range of ways, such international honours and signing with professional clubs.

He added: “It has been an honour to witness coaches develop from all levels and football clubs prosper. It has been a thrillingly, uplifting and extraordinary journey so far and I still cannot believe JDFA has been operating almost half my life.”

The Jack David Football Academy can be found on social media.