KHANO SMITH'S meandering career in professional football should sound a warning to all of those youngsters who harbour ambitions of following a similar path.

It's not all glitz and glamour. In fact, for the large majority outside Europe's Premier leagues, it's often a daily grind.

Smith is about to find out that playing in the fourth tier of the English League will be a lot tougher than plying his trade in the US Major League Soccer.

The level of skill shown by the players is probably on a par with that displayed in the MLS.

But quite literally it's a different ball game.

Even at this time of year, especially around Lincoln City where Khano is about to sign a short-term deal, it's cold, wet and windy. And in the next few months it's going to get a lot worse.

Snow, ice and frost. Not just on match days but on every day of training.

Shaun Goater, Kyle Lightbourne and Clyde Best know all about that.

As with many sports, it's not all about talent and fitness, it's about mental toughness.

That's not to say Khano doesn't possess that quality, but it will be put to the test far more frequently than during his days in the MLS.

In England's League Two, the crunching tackles come in fast and furious on pitches which take a constant battering from the weather.

Smith's biggest asset, perhaps, is his pace. And he'll certainly need to be nimble if he's to return to the dressing room with his ankles still attached to his feet.

League Two tends to attract the journeymen players who know every trick in the book, those who have spent most of their careers in the lower divisions or those who have been discarded by the bigger clubs and are still trying to make a living out of the game.

And there are a few like Khano who are still hoping to make an impression and take their career to another level.

Whether the Bermudian has what it takes, we're about to find out. It could be his last throw of the dice.

While at the New England Revolution he made his mark but his involvement gradually tapered off, although to be fair he did suffer some niggling injuries.

While on the pitch he seemed to drift in and out of games and was never a prolific goalscorer despite his ability to outpace defenders.

His stay at the Seattle Sounders was so short-lived he never had chance to pull on a shirt and at the struggling New York Bulls he simply wasn't value for money, having been brought by the fledgling club and offered a salary of $120,000-a-year, a whole lot more than he'll be getting at cash-strapped Lincoln.

His contribution at the Bulls didn't please coach Juan Carlos Osario, who admitted that if his new expensive signing didn't pull up his socks, he'd be out.

A few months after that statement, sure enough Smith was out the door.

If he didn't get the message at the Bulls, he's surely got it now. Natural talent and pace isn't enough.

There are so many other qualities required to become a successful pro.

There are many players in Bermuda who must feel they're just as skilful as Smith but have never been given the same opportunity, particularly those who have excelled with the Hogges.

Reggie Lambe continues to plug away at Championship team Ipswich, although he's yet to earn his league debut.

At 18, however, time's on his side.

At 28, Smith doesn't have that luxury.

In training he's impressed new boss Chris Sutton, the former England player. Whether he can impress him when it matters most, we'll wait and see.

– ADRIAN ROBSON