On virtually any given day of the week, on motorways up and down the country, there will be bleary-eyed scouts - football's unsung heroes - heading home at 1am with only a questionable sandwich and a rancid cup of coffee from a service station for company.

Financially, it can be a largely unrewarding profession, but without these men and women, there would be players - whether it be those that are adored my millions or those that are idolised by a few hundred down in League Two - that would never have been given the opportunity to glisten in the spotlight.

Despite the pitfalls, of which any seasoned scout will tell you there are many, it's a trade that has captured the imagination of Adam Drury, a veteran of 361 games for Norwich City.

We live in an age where punditry is saturated, perhaps overly so, with ex-professionals. And, in terms of coaching, many former footballers are currently in employment, usually at clubs that they once represented.

Indeed, Drury himself has dabbled in the media, appearing on local radio and more recently national station talkSPORT, as well as sharing his views on the Canaries with Sports Mole since he announced his retirement in September last year following a stint with Leeds United.

But, rather than revert to the confines and relative safety of the training ground or the warmth of a television studio, it's the possibility, no matter how slim, of identifying 'the next big thing' or spotting a potentially match-winning weakness in an opposition team that currently excites the 36-year-old former left-back - although he is not ruling out a change of heart in the future.

"I've spoken to a lot of people about coaching. It seemed to be a natural thing because when I finished, a lot people said 'oh, you'd be good at coaching, why don't you go into that?' It feels like the easy thing to do, but it's a lot of hard work and you've got to have the desire to do it and I don't have that right now," he told Sports Mole.

"That might change in the future of course and I've also enjoyed the media work that I've been doing, but it's a tough industry to break into with a lot of big names.

"[Scouting] can be long hours and very unsociable hours as well, but I like to think that I know quite a bit about the game when I'm watching one, whether it be looking at a certain team or a particular player.

"It has a big part to play, whether it's looking at players or how a team plays. Even when I was playing a few years back, we got a report on every player, how a team might start the game and how they've been doing over the last few weeks.

"Look at Manchester City and Sergio Aguero, you might think that anybody could spot a player as good as him, but it's what goes into it. Is he going to adapt? What's he like dealing with injuries? How about his life off the pitch? There's so much that goes into it. It interests me a lot. Then the thought of finding someone in the lower leagues or abroad that comes over here and does really well is also very appealing."

Unlike in coaching or management, where a previously unproven individual can on occasions walk straight into a position at the very top level, a scout tends to have to prove themselves lower down the leagues over a number of years, building up contacts along the way.

Yet, it's an unpredictable and uncertain scenario that holds little fear for Drury, who, as a 15-year-old trainee, left a Norwich youth setup that included Craig Bellamy to join Peterborough United along with future Tottenham Hotspur midfielders Matthew Etherington and Simon Davies.

Such a move was not without risk, but Drury's determination to prove himself was rewarded when, having impressed in a Posh shirt for six years, his career went full circle in 2001 courtesy of a return to Carrow Road in a deal thought to be worth around £500,000.

It's an experience that Drury believes will hold him in good stead as he eagerly attempts to make his first steps on the scouting ladder.

"Scouting is hard work and you have to start at the bottom then work your way up, but that doesn't bother me because I had to do the same thing as a player. I started lower league and worked my way up," he reflected.

"You can't be afraid to do a bit of hard work. I don't mind shadowing someone to learn the trade first of all. I need to see how it works because it's changed so much since I was playing. There's a massive database of players now, I can't just rely on watching games.

"You get them long hours, travelling on your own, but it's all about your love of the game. If I can watch a team, spot a weakness and then report that back, it would be hugely satisfying."

Ultimately, a successful scout is not only one that delivers the goods, but also somebody whose opinion is valued by the game's decision makers, whether that be a manager, coach or chief scout.

Of course, those two qualities usually go hand in hand, but while Drury is aware that he has so much to prove, he has at least been given plenty of encouragement that his judgement is sought after.

"Managers have rung me plenty of times to ask about players I've played with - would I take him or wouldn't I? You have to be honest in that situation because if you say he's great despite having doubts, it's going to reflect on you badly when he doesn't do well for that club," he added.

"You've got to be trusted and hopefully people do value my opinion, but if I have to earn that trust by starting at the bottom again, I'll do it. It doesn't bother me at all."

'Earning it' is key as far as Drury is concerned. Having served both Norwich and Peterborough with such distinction over a 17-year period, it would seem logical that the popular figure at both of those East Anglian clubs might try to use his connections to his advantage.

However, Cambridge-based Drury is quick to stress that he does not want to be considered a charity case.

"I'd be happy to work for any club, but I don't want charity from anyone. If a club at any level, it doesn't matter which one, offered me the chance to come in and learn from someone, that would be great," he admitted.

"[Peterborough and Norwich] did enough for me when I was playing and they certainly don't owe me anything. It's scouting in general that interests me, whoever that may be for."