By BBC Spotlight's Dave Gibbins

There are not many older players in the Football League than Torquay United captain Chris Hargreaves, who is shortly to complete 20 years as a professional footballer.

But, even at the age of 37, it is clear from the way he has started this season that the legs which have so far seen him through 661 games in his career have a fair few miles in them yet.

After being relegated to the Conference with Oxford United in 2006, the odds of Hargreaves playing League Football again looked firmly stacked against him.

But, last season, Hargreaves led Torquay to promotion from the Blue Square Premier. And he has now featured in all four of the Gulls opening league games this term.

In all, he has appeared for 10 clubs since making his professional debut as an 18-year-old for his home-town club Grimsby Town in the old Fourth Division on 17 October 1989.

Born in Cleethorpes, where Grimsby play their home games, he wasted no time establishing himself as a local hero.

He came off the bench to score the Mariners' second goal, the first of his career tally of 51, in a 2-0 win over Gillingham at Blundell Park.

Then, Hargreaves was a fresh-faced, innocent, engaging teenager who saw stars in his eyes.

Today, still with a young man's haircut, he performs a vital role at Plainmoor, acting as a mentor to many of the younger players.

I've had a lot of play-off adventures, losses and heartaches Chris Hargreaves

"When you're making your debut at 17 or 18, you look at the older pro's and think they're so old," he told BBC Spotlight. "Now I'm that person, but training every day with these young lads at Torquay makes you feel young again."

Hargreaves' relationship with manager Alan Buckley at Grimsby was fractious, but his feet were kept firmly on the ground by the dogmatic Buckley.

After a struggle to break in at Grimsby and a short loan spell at Scarborough, Hargreaves dropped down a division to try his luck across the Humber at Hull City.

But injuries hampered his progress and, when Buckley got his big break at West Bromwich Albion, he drafted in many of his ex-Grimsby players, including Hargreaves.

After making just one appearance in his season at The Hawthorns, in a six-club tour of English football's lower divisions, at Hereford, Plymouth, Northampton, Brentford, Oxford and now Torquay, Hargreaves learned to be a professional footballer the hard way, playing under various managers who all had their different methods.

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From a rookie pro, Chris developed into a mature and seasoned player, not enjoying a great deal of success, but always gaining the respect of his peers.

"It's been a long road," he admits. "I've had a lot of play-off adventures, losses and heart aches."

After suffering relegation with Oxford in 2006, he had a season of Conference football before he joined Torquay, then facing up to their first season at that level.

The rest is history as they say, as, after one close shave in 2008, Hargreaves boldly led the Gulls back into the League as captain under Paul Buckle.

He even put the icing on the cake with a stunning goal in United's 2-0 play-off victory over Cambridge at Wembley in May.

And he is now relishing the challenge of leading Torquay onwards and upwards in League Two, at the same time realising his luck at having a second crack at league football at the age of 37.

"I think we're coping quite well in this league and I think we can do well," said Hargreaves.

"And, for me, being able to play in the league again is an extra bonus because, at the end of each season you never know if it's going to be your last."

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