Richard Chaplow interview- West Brom's Happy Chappy finds his place in the sun

Ten years on, the midfielder – who Baggies fans will remember as a fresh-faced young talent – is fighting the same battle across the Atlantic.

Chaplow is currently plying his trade for Orange County Soccer Club in the United States League, one level below Major League Soccer.

He joined half-way through last season and helped his new team reach the semi-finals of the Western Conference play-offs. In January, his contract was extended by two more years.

A nomadic footballer in England who never settled at any one club for more than three years, Chaplow played for Burnley, Albion, Preston, Southampton, Millwall, Ipswich, and Doncaster.

But as he told the Express & Star, he and his family have finally found a long-term home in the gloriously sunny climes of California.

“As a family we’ve been coming over here on vacation because my wife’s brother lives here, so it was always a dream of ours to potentially come and live here one day too,” he explained.

“The US soccer market is growing at a rapid rate and I thought that it was a fantastic time to come over, and hopefully have an impact. So we packed our bags and away we came.”

It was a big decision for Chaplow and wife Emily, not least because it involved uprooting their two sons Elijah, aged nine, and Milo, seven. But obviously, the weather helps.

“It’s a very nice area to live, and a fantastic place to bring our kids up,” said Chaplow. “The sun is shining most days, we get to go outside and enjoy an active lifestyle. It’s a bit different to the north of England where I’m from.

“The kids are loving it, it’s great to see them come out here and become their own people in their own rights.”

But Chaplow’s off-field life wasn’t the only thing that changed. There was also a shock to the system on the pitch.

“It’s very different over here,” he said. “There’s a lot of different challenges. You’ve got travel times, you could be flying four hours to a game, you have climate change, in the mid-west it can be 37C at 7pm. Humidity is high, and there’s a lot of games on astroturf.”

It hasn’t been a completely smooth journey. Last year, a gay LA Galaxy II player, Robbie Rogers, accused Chaplow of calling him ‘queer’ during a match.

Following a full investigation there was no evidence found that he used homophobic slurs and Chaplow was instead handed a two-match ban for using foul and abusive language.

He said at the time: “I have been banned for swearing at a player, not homophobic slurs.

"At no point in the statement is a homophobic slur made reference to, and the simple reason for this is it didn’t happen.”

Despite that incident, Chaplow is loving his time state-side, and is now applying for a green card so he and his family can live there permanently. It’s also crucial for his long-term plan to enter into coaching.

Chaplow is 32 now and although he’s hoping to keep playing for a few more years, retirement is in sight.

“Looking around and watching other senior pros finish at 34 or 35, you see the negative impact that has on them mentally, financially, with their families, and it hit home,” he explained. “I put a plan in place in my mid-20s for me to have a smooth transition.”

He completed some coaching badges in the UK and also picked up a degree in Sports Science and Fitness from Manchester Metropolitan University supported by the Professional Footballers’ Association.

But he’s not allowed to coach in America under his current visa, and the green card will also allow wife Emily to fire up her cosmetic tattooing business again across the pond.

“I get a work permit through my club, the wife and kids can come attached but she can’t work,” he explained. “She’s enjoying the sun, but you can only do that for so long before it gets long in the tooth.

“When I stop playing, I feel I will have a lot to offer as a coach. US Soccer is growing at a rapid rate, and I’d like to a part of that.

“By getting a green card, I can plan for the future and start coaching out here on the side.

“It doesn’t matter how good you are, coaching is a totally different aspect, so the only way to develop and understand insight into that is to start doing that as soon as possible.

“I can’t do that without obtaining a green card and changing my work permit.”

When Chaplow signed for the Baggies on the eve of his 20th birthday for £1.5million, he came from Burnley as a highly-rated England youth international.

Although he struggled for first-team minutes, he still looks back on his time at The Hawthorns fondly, and attributes it to his development.

“My time at Albion was fantastic for me in respect of growing up, becoming more of a man, understanding my education and the tactical side of the game,” he said.

“Bryan Robson signed me and we all know what a hero he was in respect his playing days.

“It was an honour to come under his umbrella, being able to play with players like (Nwankwo) Kanu and Kevin Campbell.

“I didn’t play as much as I would have liked, but obviously because of our position in the Premier League at the time it was difficult for him to look towards younger players to try and get us out of a relegation fight.

“But I made some great friends. Jonathan Greening and Paul Robinson are people I still look up to and stay in touch with today.

“The highlight and lowlight all rolled into one was getting to Wembley after a successful season and losing 1-0 to Derby. So close but so far.

“Luckily I got an opportunity to do it with Southampton automatically. Football is a rollercoaster, there’s a lot of positives, lots of times you get down if you’re not playing, it’s mentally challenging but the rewards are there for everyone to see. It’s without doubt the most enjoyable profession.”

This season’s fight with Orange County is a familiar one. Chaplow’s team are currently outside the top eight of the Western Conference, although they are only five points behind the play-off places and have four or five games in hand on the majority of the others.

Earlier this month Chaplow tasted what it was like to play against America’s elite, when LA Galaxy beat them 3-1 in the Open Cup, the United States’ equivalent of the FA Cup. Next season, he hopes to be lining up against them in the league after putting his play-off demons to bed.