Barman to the Bescot: Priestley Farquharson's career serves up a big adventure

Fast forward several months and the defender was celebrating the sweet taste of victory in Europe.

“I didn’t think I’d be playing in Europe when I was mixing cocktails and making coffees,” Farquharson reflects.

“It all happened so quickly. I loved everyone behind the bar but the football pitch is where I am meant to be.”

Released by Wycombe Wanderers as a teenager, Farquharson decided to step away from football for a lengthy period.

His sabbatical then led him down the intriguing path of representing the England beach soccer team.

“It was a really good experience for me. I started when I was 17 and I played for England for four years,” he reveals.

“I had the privilege of going away to play against different countries, and learn different cultures.

“My favourite experience was in Tahiti. The people were lovely and it was a different world out there.”

Farquharson also studied at the Brunel University in London. It was at this point that he decided to pursue a career in professional football again.

“I fell back in love with football because of a coach called Ali Simmons,” he recalls.

“It all kicked on from there. I went to Uni with my friend Abo Eisa, who plays for Grimsby now. I just loved the feeling of getting out on the pitch, expressing myself, and playing with a smile on my face again.”

Connah’s Quay came knocking in the winter of 2019 and Farquharson pounced at the chance to sign on the dotted line.

He worked under former Manchester City defender Andy Morrison, who immediately took the youngster under his wing.

“Connah’s Quay was really good for me, and Andy helped transform me into a man,” he reveals.

“The assistant Craig Harrison and Jamie Insall, who was a teammate, also helped me a lot.

“Jamie always told me how good I was even if I was having a bad day.

“He was always lifting me up and my time with Connah’s Quay was an important chapter in my journey.”

Farquharson played 10 matches in his first few months at the club, as the Nomads secured Europa League qualification.

The Welsh outfit were handed a tough assignment against Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock, and lost 2-1 on home turf in the first leg.

Their trip to Rugby Park was expected to be the end of the Nomads’ European odyssey, but Farquharson and co defied the odds.

A pair of goals from Callum Morris propelled Connah’s Quay to an historic victory, and Farquharson was introduced late in the evening to make his European bow.

“Everyone had written us off before the Kilmarnock game,” he says.

“We lost the first leg but then we beat them on their own turf. It was a crazy experience and the Kilmarnock fans were not happy.”

The Nomads ultimately succumbed to a 4-0 aggregate defeat against Partizan Belgrade in the second qualifying round, but Farquharson continued to reach new heights in Wales.

By the end of the season, he was crowned the club’s Young Player of the Year, and had lifted the Cymru Premier title and Welsh Cup.

As a result, the Nomads made history by entering the Champions League for the first time ever.

Connah’s Quay were drawn against Bosnian side FK Sarajevo, which was played as a one-off tie due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Farquharson’s memorable spell with the Nomads was capped in style when he was handed the captaincy on his Champions League debut.

“I was actually handed it because a couple of players had Covid,” he explains.

“But it was a big thing for me to lead the boys out in the Champions League. I was very proud and it’s a night I won’t forget.”

The Nomads lost 2-0 on the night, but his performance that evening would ultimately catch the attention of the former Newport County boss Michael Flynn.

“Andy Morrison knew Michael Flynn. When I spoke to Flynn, he said he’d watched the Champions League game, and he liked me from there.

“Then, suddenly, I was finally a Football League player.”