KNOWN as the ‘Mad Dog’ during his playing days for West Ham and Queens Park Rangers, Martin Allen went on to become a manager of several clubs, and he is now lifting the lid on his career and life away from football.

Martin will be giving a talk at Ross Sports Centre on Saturday, March 28 during which he will explain how he has swapped football management for other roles and is now helping people in his home community.

But he hasn’t completely left football alone as he is a West Ham ambassador providing visitors with match day experience at the London Stadium, along with other former players.

Aside from spending three days a week helping old women with their gardens he also helps people move home by driving lorries and vans for them.

Martin played more than 100 games as a midfielder for both Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United before finishing his playing career with Portsmouth and Southend United in 1998.

Martin was subsequently appointed assistant manager at Reading, his hometown, in January 2000, where he joined Alan Pardew when the Royals were in the relegation zone.

The team produced championship form in their closing 20 fixtures, winning 12 and drawing four to secure a top 10 finish. However, he was sacked from this role in November 2001.

His next role in management was at non-league Barnet and he went on the manage Brentford, Milton Keynes Dons, Leicester City, Cheltenham Town and Notts County.

And as manager of Gillingham during the 2012–13 season, he led the team to the Football League Two title, earning him his first promotion as a manager and Gillingham's first divisional title in 49 years.

The talk at Ross Sports Centre, presented by the Ross Juniors FC outreach programme, which begins at 7.30pm, is open to all with free admission.