ยฃ5000 being paid out to my client who unfortunately suffered from an ACL injury while playing 5 a side football at goals. Thankfully he had injury cover in place so he wonโt be needing to set up a gofundme page ๐๐พ
EUROPA LEAGUE was never the dream.
Not because I didnโt want it.
Because if Iโm being honest, I never thought it was possible.
What kid would?
Especially when 12 years ago I was playing non league football in the Ryman Premier and Conference South, just trying to stay alive in the game.
What kid dreams about Europe when, two weeks into the off season, his dad has to tell him heโs been released by Watford F.C. over the phone?
I was heartbroken.
My dad looked at me and said:
โWhat are we doing tomorrow?โ
To which I replied with the words heโd drilled into me my whole life:
โWeโre training, Dad.โ
So we trained.
Every single day.
My dad emailed every EFL club asking for an opportunity.
One club replied.
One.
That was all I needed.
An opportunity.
@WealdstoneFC and @wwfcofficial , Iโll always be indebted to you.
Then came the move to @SunderlandAFC .
A massive club.
A massive opportunity.
And I couldnโt wait to prove myself.
But 45 minutes into my debutโฆ hooked.
โRabbit caught in headlights. Waste of money. Get rid.โ
Then came the Championship.
โHeโs not good enough for this level.โ
Then the Premier League.
โLetโs give him a debut and then get rid of him.โ
I understood the doubt.
Iโve faced it my whole career.
And truthfully, you doubt yourself too at times.
But Iโve always tried to live by one mindset:
Outwork your doubt.
You donโt always need to see the full journey.
You just need to take the next step.
Then the next one.
And then another.
Even when social media tells you youโre not good enough.
Even when the voice inside your own head whispers the same thing.
Keep working.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
Because sometimes the places you end up are bigger than anything your younger self couldโve ever imagined.
To any young player reading this, donโt put a ceiling on yourself too early.
You genuinely have no idea where this game and life can take you.
And to the boysโฆ thank you.
You removed the glass ceiling Iโd placed on myself.
What a team.
What a club.
What a fanbase.
Sunderlandโฆ rocking all over Europe โค๏ธ๐ค
And in the words of Granit Xhaka:
โThis is just the beginning.โ