From Amazon delivery driver to League Two star - Cheltenham Town winger Ethon Archer's story so far

“I have surprised everyone,” says Cheltenham Town winger Ethon Archer.

It's hard to argue. A year ago, he was a delivery driver for Amazon in London, playing at step four of non-league, with six different clubs already on his CV. The winger has since impressed at National League South level with Torquay United, where he trained on a full-time basis for the first time.

And he has now become, in Robins manager Michael Flynn’s words, the team’s “talisman”, with five goals and four assists in the opening three months of the 2024/25 campaign. His strike in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bromley made it three goals in his last three starts, including a wonderful individual effort in the 3-1 FA Cup first round victory at League One Rotherham United.

Archer, who signed a two-year deal with the Robins in July, is already attracting interest from Championship and League One clubs. If things had worked out differently, the 22-year-old could easily have been with Scottish Championship club Ayr United, with whom he spent time on trial during summer 2023.

Archer grew up on the Roundshaw Estate in South London, playing park football from an early age. He was always one of the standout performers in any team he represented, but such was the competitiveness of football in that corner of the capital, he went under the radar of scouts. “I was unfortunately never given an opportunity, but I always knew I wanted to play football and it didn’t stop me getting where I am today,” Archer says.

After leaving school he joined the Kinetic Academy, who have a proud record of helping players break into the professional game. Calum McFarlane, now Under-18s head coach at Southampton, had a major influence on Archer during this period, along with Harry Hudson, currently coaching Wycombe Wanderers’ Under-18.

“They both helped with my development and they still help me now,” Archer says. “At Kinetic I was studying alongside pretty much full-time training. I learned and developed a lot through their programme.”

It was Hudson who gave Archer his introduction to senior football at Whyteleafe in 2020. He faced Herne Bay in Isthmian League South East Division, made an FA Cup extra preliminary round appearance against Herne Bay and featured in an FA Trophy tie against Cray Valley Paper Mills before Covid-19 brought a premature end to the season.

“I played a handful of games for their first team at 17 or freshly 18, so I was grateful for that opportunity. I was starting to get used to men’s football a little bit, but I was still young and needed a lot more development. After Covid, I was struggling to secure a spot in a team and bouncing around a little bit.”

Archer joined Bedfont Sports, where he found opportunities limited, although he did go on from the bench in an FA Cup fourth qualifying round defeat by Kidderminster Harriers in October 2021, settled by a strike from ex-Robins forward Amari Morgan-Smith. “I didn’t really get a look-in at Bedfont, but the Kidderminster game was the biggest I’d played in around that time."

He was restricted to four appearances in cup competitions before leaving to join Sutton Common Rovers. After playing in a 7-1 home Isthmian League South Central Division defeat by Bracknell Town, he was sent on loan to Combined Counties League side Horley Town. “That’s when I first got a good run of games and quite a few teams started asking about me."

One of those clubs was Raynes Park Vale, against whom Archer had impressed and he joined them ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. “That’s when my career kick-started. I scored 15 goals and we won the league. After that, I had a lot of step three and four teams asking me to come down.”

It was at this stage Archer spent two weeks on a pre-season trial with Ayr United, through a link with his cousin and current Huddersfield Town winger Mickel Miller, who had experienced Scottish football at Hamilton Academical between 2018 and 2020. The two are close, speaking on a daily basis and Archer also has another cousin in professional football: left-back Thierry Small at Charlton Athletic.

Archer was not offered terms by Ayr, so returned to London and opted to join Welling United. “It would have been a big move to Scotland, but I was willing to do it for the opportunity to get my name out there more than it was. I did fairly well, but I was just unlucky. Welling wanted to see me play in games so they forwarded me on to Three Bridges.”

He made seven appearances for the step four Crawley-based club, scoring once, at the start of last season. “Pete Johnson had some contact with my agent and I went to Torquay on trial. Within a week, Gary Johnson had taken a liking to me and I signed for the season.”

Archer turned professional at Plainmoor at 21, allowing him to give up his day job. “I’d worked in many jobs in retail, but the main one was delivering for Amazon around London,” he says. “It was overwhelming at times, but then decent at other times and I was working with a lot of nice people including many also involved in non-league football.”

By that time, Archer had chalked up around 60 senior appearances in semi-professional football, which he believes has helped him handle the physical challenge of National League South and now League Two. “It made a massive impact, starting off in men’s football at quite a young age. “It’s definitely been beneficial and prepared me well.

“After Covid, I did spend time wondering if I really enjoyed football anymore and whether it was going to happen for me. I lived across the field from a Power League (six-a-side) league and I played there almost every day. I was getting 'no, no, no' from clubs, but thankfully I stayed strong minded and kept going because I knew I had ability.”

Archer is particularly grateful to Josh Gallagher, older brother of England, Atlético Madrid and former Chelsea star Conor. Josh managed Raynes Park Vale during Archer’s year there, with his twin brother Jake Gallagher in the playing squad.

“All my coaches have been helpful, but Josh really believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play, play, play and express myself, which massively helped me at Raynes Park."

Archer’s Torquay debut was in early November against Havant & Waterlooville. It was not long before he became a fan favourite, with his first goal coming in a 3-2 victory over Hemel Hempstead Town. “I went into a players’ house and there were quite a few from London, which helped because we had the same banter and were into the same things.

It was a bit of a culture shock, you could say, moving from London to being next to the beach and hearing seagulls every morning, but I enjoyed it. It was much quieter, but I was never bored and the people were nice and there was plenty of fan engagement. My first goal wasn’t the best, but I’d say it was slightly better than my one at Carlisle this season! It was being in the right place at the right time and getting the ball over the line.

“It felt very, very good because I’d come off the back of a lot of goals the previous season and I was trying to get back to that at a higher level. I noticed the change with full-time training, physically and mentally, but I feel I adapted quickly and I was always naturally fit. It took me a couple of goals and I felt I was getting used to the level, gradually becoming more comfortable and confident on the ball.”

Torquay’s season was disrupted by administration, which saw them deducted 10 points in March, plunging them into a relegation battle. “It was all alien to me and I’d never even heard of administration before then. I felt like it helped us in a way, making the boys hungrier to go out knowing we needed a result for the club, the fans and for ourselves and our careers. It was a bit of a shock, but I don’t think it affected us as players massively.”

Archer was joined at Plainmoor in February by Arkell Jude-Boyd, who had been loaned from QPR. “He came into the same house and we became good friends, pretty much instantly,” Archer says. “We are both from London and it’s hard not to be friends with someone like Arkell, who is such a nice guy. I don’t have a bad word to say about him. We are living together again now in Cheltenham, so it’s been quite a long time now.”

After his bright spell on the English Riviera, Archer had non-league clubs queuing up to sign him at the end of the season, but no clubs above National League South level. That was until Cheltenham’s new assistant manager Aaron Downes contacted him.

“I wasn’t sure what I was doing and I had contact from so many different non-league managers, but luckily Downesy said there could potentially be an opportunity at Cheltenham, so to keep my doors open and it worked out. Archer joined Cheltenham on trial from the start of pre-season, becoming their ninth summer signing on July 5.

“It was just about being given an opportunity because there are a lot of non-league players with talent that I think could play in League Two and higher who haven’t been given the opportunity. When I came to Cheltenham I wasn’t that nervous as I believed in my ability. I had to do what I usually do and the gaffer (Michael Flynn) would take a liking to me.

"He is a nice guy, with good morals and straight up. He is a very good manager, with a lot of experience. I signed the day of the Bishop’s Cleeve friendly and it was a nice feeling because I’d finally done it and I knew how proud all my friends and family were of me, turning pro at 21.”

As well as his old Torquay colleague Jude-Boyd, Archer has been living in a house with Liam Dulson, who has had a similar rise from part-time football, and Southampton loanee Lewis Payne. “All four of us get on well, in and out of the house,” Archer says. “We’ll often go for something to eat, play Fifa and chat, but it’s the same for all the whole squad really.

“I’ve learned a lot from the experienced lads. They are always giving me advice and they’ve all been very welcoming. Duls’ career is relatable and there will be times when we’re at a ground saying ‘it was never like this playing at step four of non-league!’ because we’ve both seen the differences first-hand.

“Cheltenham is a very nice town and we like to go to The Brewery, where we use the gym, go to Nando’s or Starbucks. On a day off I just like to use the pool, sauna and steam room. Me and a couple of the boys also sometimes go to Gloucester Quays, which is quite nice.”

After settling in quickly off the pitch, Archer was named on the bench for the season opener at home to Newport County AFC, going on for his EFL debut in the 63rd minute and setting up the stoppage time winner for Joel Colwill. “I remember the manager saying something along the lines of ‘go on and win us the game’,” he smiles.

His first start followed for the EFL Cup trip to Plymouth Argyle for days later, when Cheltenham contained Wayne Rooney’s team for more than hour before succumbing 3-0. Archer was used from the bench against Grimsby Town and AFC Wimbledon before making his full League Two debut at Walsall.

Substitute appearances at Newport County AFC in the EFL Trophy and Harrogate Town in the league followed before he was reinstated for Salford City away and he has played every minute of every League Two match since. His first goal for the club put Flynn’s side 1-0 up in the 48th minute before Salford hit back to win 2-1 with Hakeeb Adelakun scoring both. “It was a relief to score, but I know I have to keep going and going. It was a nice moment of course and I know a lot of people would be proud of me to have scored at such a high level.”

His next goal set up a tense finish at home to Swindon Town, making it 3-2 in the 78th minute, but Cheltenham ran out of time before they could find an equaliser. Since then, they are unbeaten in four league games, with Archer netting the winner at Carlisle United and on Saturday against Bromley. But his best goal so far has undoubtedly been the final goal in the FA Cup win at Rotherham. Two years ago he was playing against Erith & Belvedere in the extra preliminary round.

“It was an amazing feeling,” he says. “Every time I get the ball in the final third, I think ‘how can I score or assist?’ I thought, ‘I am going to need to do it myself', so I took the first couple of touches with a couple of defenders around me and I didn’t really have any other options, so I took it on myself.

"It’s most definitely the best goal I’ve scored in a competitive game and I was so happy because I went into that game wanting to score or have a massive impact on us winning the game and I managed to do that. It gives me more belief, but I know I have to stay humble and keep doing what I have been doing.”

Flynn has openly admitted he initially saw Archer as a ‘project’ who would gradually be eased into the starting line-up as he developed, but he has quickly become one of the first names on the team sheet.

“People are saying ‘who is this person?’ kind of thing!” Archer jokes. “There is a lot of talk about me coming from nowhere, but I always knew I had the ability. It was just a case of someone giving me the opportunity as the gaffer has and someone believing in me so I can believe in myself and play to the best of my ability. Everything this season feels like the first time over and over again and I would like to continue that.”

Cheltenham’s players held a meeting after the Swindon defeat, cancelling a planned night out to focus on addressing their inconsistent form. “We were supposed to go out for some food and to socialise, but we didn’t feel it was right,” Archer says. “We needed to get the football right before we had any sort of enjoyment together so we had a group discussion. We came to the ultimate agreement that we needed to do better because we didn’t want to be a team slipping around relegation, we wanted to be one looking for promotion. For the sake of our careers, we knew we had to do better because we obviously want success and things have clicked for us since then. We have done what we need to do so far and hopefully that continues.”

Archer has been enjoying himself on the left, with Jordan Thomas – who was also playing in the National League South with Bath City until January – on the opposite flank and George Miller down the middle. “Playing on the left of the three is where I’ve played my best football, but I’ve also played on the right, as a number 10 for Raynes Park and also a few games as a holding midfielder. I have even played halves at right-back or right wing-back this season. We feel like we can cause any team problems. George holds the ball up very well and he is a real threat for centre-halves, getting in behind a lot, and winning headers.

“I have a lot of faith in Bradders (Tom Bradbury) behind me because he’s very good on and off the ball and he chats to me a lot. He gives me that sense of security, but I also know I have to get back and help the team with my defensive work. The manager is always demanding more, but he has given us a lot of confidence and belief as a three and the whole team is going really well. He motivates us, but he will also reward us and congratulate us.”

While Archer has benefitted from the extra training full-time football allows, he has never struggled for aerobic fitness. “I don’t carry much weight and I did cross country running at school, so if anything I have to eat a little bit extra to get enough protein and carbs in. I do a lot of extra gym work, which has definitely helped, and I’ve learned to use my body to avoid being pushed off the ball so easily and also how to evade certain types of tackles.”

Among the players the boyhood Arsenal fan admires most are Gunners great Thierry Henry, along with Neymar, Ronaldinho and Riyad Mahrez; all players with flair in abundance. But Archer knows the importance of doing the other side of the game, clearly demonstrated by his superb lunging block to deny Michael Cheek in the penalty area after a first half counter-attack by Bromley.

There is no hint of arrogance in Archer’s character whatsoever, but when he reveals his career goal, it is obvious that he believes he can realise it. “My aim is to one day be in the Premier League,” he says. “You have to believe in yourself and you have to keep going.”