La ánecdota de JERMAIN DEFOE vale la pena leerla 😢
"Recuerdo que durante mi segunda temporada en Sunderland, Louise Wanless, la chica de prensa, me dijo un día: “Hay un niño que quiere conocerte”. Me explicó que Bradley Lowery tenía neuroblastoma y que yo era su jugador favorito. Yo estaba como, “Está bien, por supuesto. Sin preocupaciones." Pero no tenía ni idea de cómo sería él. Asumí por su descripción que sería súper tímido y callado.
Pero tan pronto como entró en el vestuario, corrió directamente hacia mí, saltó sobre mi regazo y me abrazó con una gran sonrisa en su rostro. Después de esa primera reunión, le pedí a Louise que me pusiera en contacto con la familia para poder ir a verlo al hospital. Al principio iba con otros jugadores, pero luego seguí yendo solo. Quería pasar el mayor tiempo posible con él. Teníamos esta conexión natural, este vínculo. Todavía no sé cómo explicarlo. Me acostumbré tanto a que él estuviera en Sunderland que realmente luché después de que se fue.
Me enseñó a apreciar mucho más la vida y las personas que me rodean. Él me cambió, toda mi perspectiva".
I wish everyone at @kentunitedfc nothing but the best, and the club will always remain close to my heart 🔴⚫️
See you all on in June for end of season presentation 🍺
@bwoods1989 Thank you so much for the kind words Bill, its been a true pleasure working with you and I've also learnt alot regarding refs in our time together 👊🏻🙌🏻❤️🖤
Sorry I did miss a special mention to @crubby09 - this guy is an unbelievable coach and even I have learnt a lot from him on the touchline. Big career in football for this guy 💙
Sad to announce After Two seasons at @kentunitedfc I have decided to leave my position as Kitman. Thank you to everyone who I’ve worked with along the way. Couldn’t have asked to work with any better people. Big shout outs to @white091082@watson895@PaulHar78502637@purser_matt
Edinson Cavani: "PSG ile sözleşme imzalarken gol bonusu istemedim. Memleketim Salto'daki yoksul çocuklara her yıl gizlice 500 bisiklet ve futbol topu gönderilmesini şart koştum. Kulüp bunu gizli tuttu, ben de her Noel'de o çocukların mutluluğunu izlemek için gizlice köye gittim."
EUROPA LEAGUE was never the dream.
Not because I didn’t want it.
Because if I’m 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 he’s been released by Watford F.C. over the phone?
I was heartbroken.
My dad looked at me and said:
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
To which I replied with the words he’d drilled into me my whole life:
“We’re training, Dad.”
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 , I’ll always be indebted to you.
Then came the move to @SunderlandAFC .
A massive club.
A massive opportunity.
And I couldn’t wait to prove myself.
But 45 minutes into my debut… hooked.
“Rabbit caught in headlights. Waste of money. Get rid.”
Then came the Championship.
“He’s not good enough for this level.”
Then the Premier League.
“Let’s give him a debut and then get rid of him.”
I understood the doubt.
I’ve faced it my whole career.
And truthfully, you doubt yourself too at times.
But I’ve always tried to live by one mindset:
Outwork your doubt.
You don’t 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 you’re 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 could’ve ever imagined.
To any young player reading this, don’t put a ceiling on yourself too early.
You genuinely have no idea where this game and life can take you.
And to the boys… thank you.
You removed the glass ceiling I’d placed on myself.
What a team.
What a club.
What a fanbase.
Sunderland… rocking all over Europe ❤️🤍
And in the words of Granit Xhaka:
“This is just the beginning.”
🇧🇷 This is Arthur Pelé, grandson of Brazilian legend Pelé.
Instead of chasing a conventional professional football career, he showcases his talent on the streets and beaches of Brazil, as a freestyle footballer.