But after completing his A-levels the 18-year-old decided that his education was more important, and headed off to university to study for a degree in business studies and marketing.
It was a brave decision, as many of his contemporaries would have chosen to pursue the glamorous and highly lucrative career of a football player, but Garin has no regrets.
He says: "I always felt my education came first. Also, I realised that football, while being very financially rewarding, is a short-term career.
"While I was at university I tried to keep up with the training, but it was extremely difficult to combine it with my studies. By the time I'd finished my degree, I'd lost that edge on the pitch."
While Garin is still a keen sportsman and, at the age of 39, plays for his local league, his sporting commitments these day are centred on watching his three children, the oldest of whom, Esther, plays hockey at county level. However, he has achieved his goal of establishing a long-term career. Garin is now regional general manager of MacDonald Hotels and the man charged with the roll-out and refurbishment of the group's hotels in the north, including the £50m MacDonald Manchester which will open its doors in the city in October.
Garin has worked in the hotel sector for 17 years and has managed hotels all over the UK. His first job, after completing his degree, was at Belton Woods Hotel and Country Club in Leicestershire.
He says: "When I left university I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I saw the job at the hotel advertised, and because I was keen on sport and the subjects I'd studied for my degree were fairly relevant, I applied for the job.
"But at the time I didn't look at it as a long-term career and never thought I would be in the same industry 17 years later."
After a year or so in Leicestershire, Garin moved to a hotel in Rotherham and then on to the Forte group where, at the age of 27, he got his first general manager position at a 56- bedroom hotel.
A number of jobs at different groups followed, which took Garin to Wales, Cambridge and the south east, and then to London where, in the role of divisional director, he was responsible for the build and opening of a number of Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza and Ramada Encore hotels.
He says: "To get on in the hotel sector you have to be prepared to move around the country. However, a couple of years ago my wife and I decided that we'd like to bring our children up in north Derbyshire, where we are both from, so I left London and took on the role at MacDonald."
Garin joined the group in January, 2005, and since then has spearheaded the launch of the St Paul's Hotel in Sheffield and the £11m MacDonald Portal Hotel and Spa in Tarporley, as well as a number of refurbishments at existing venues across the north west.
Now, his latest project is the £50m city centre hotel near Piccadilly station. The four-star venue is the latest in a long line of hotels opening in the city centre, but Garin believes there is room for more.
"The demand is certainly there. During some occasions and events, it is almost impossible to get a room in the city centre.
"Manchester is firmly on the business and tourism map and is a vibrant and burgeoning city in terms of economic growth. As more people arrive in the city to do business, there will always be demand for four-star, luxury hotel rooms.
"Also we have certain unique selling points, such as 40ft bedrooms, which is fairly rare in a city centre - and our food offering is exceptionally strong."
Garin says he is looking forward to the friendly rivalry that exists between city centre general managers in an industry which he loves.
He says: "It is a dynamic and fast-moving sector. It has its challenges, but I like the fact that it is a 24-hour business and you get to meet people from all walks of life."
While Garin admits that he has a few stories to tell from his years in the industry, he is, as you would expect from a hotel manager, the epitome of discretion.
"There have been a number of interesting incidents, but what happens in hotels, stays in hotels!" he laughs.
Tweet
