My story
Played as a sweeper when I was younger, in a 3 man defence. We won the league one year, but finished 2nd the next two (team called Wythenshaw won it, and apparently their entire team was scouted by City).
But yeah, I was a quality defender. Fastest in my team (was fastest in my school in year 4), brave as helll (got so many injuries), good at tackling. I had a beast of a throw, the manager would call up up in the last minute to do a throw. Used to piss me off. Anyway I was scouted by Man City, but my dad told them to come back in a few years. I was also quite strong, and whenever we'd do the "dad's vs lads" match before the season I would take one of them out with a slide tackle. I'd also do it on the astro turf, so I'd end up with ripped up trackies and a huge burn on my knee's, which was hurt even more because of the salt on the floor or whatever it is they use)
2 years later I had a poor start. Everyone had grown apart from me, and at a United summer school thin they told me I wouldn't make a sweeper as I wasn't tall enough. I carried on anyway, and got better and better, but had to become more "nasty" to make up for my lack of height (strange as I'm 6'2 now). One game against a team called Sale I completely raped this guy, and he went off the pitch crying. All of his team grouped together and started saying things to me, which made me quite nervous as they were a rough team. My mate called Tom who was our "hard" player walked up to them and said if they touch me he's going to break their fucking legs (his dad was NOT happy, as we were only around 10). Anyway they didn't do anything to me, which was cool and I had to say sorry to the other kid at the end of the match, who broke his arm.
At school I was CM, though I pretty much ran about everywhere. I remember I was against another school team, who had 2 players that were in my local team, and we were getting battered about 3-1. I was playing well though, but their striker (Dec) megged me and started making me look a fool (he was later scouted along with me and 2 others). I pulled him, pushed him on the floor and kicked him, though not intentionally. I did it on instinct. Anyway I was "sent off" which for school kids meant I had to be subbed and wasn't allowed back on. When I saw the guy at training a few days later it was a bit strange, but he laughed about it so I was happy.
Anyway for my team I moved to RM, and scored 2 goals in my first game, one of which was a clearence from my own half, and I'd also play CM.
Carried on and was scouted again, but City once more, Stoke and a 3rd team but I never got to found out who. My dad told them to come back in a year or so again
, and a month later I started feeling pain in my knees. I didn't tell anyone, and carried on playing for about 6 months, and had to sneak and ice pack on my knees after every training/match. In the end the manager saw my knee and noticed it was really swollen, and one of the dads who was a physio took a look and said it looked fairly serious. I went to see him a few times, and it turned out I had a severe case of "osgood schlattersa", which is where the muscle's in my knee's grew too quickly.
Looking back it didn't suprise me. My week was this:
Saturday: "Brazillian football"
Sunday: Local team match
Monday: free
Tuesday: School training
Wednesday: Local team training
Thursday: A school match every 3 weeks
Friday: free
That obviously doesn't include playing all the time at school, which I hated but would get in early so I could play before the day started. I also had a huge garden, which I played in constantly and would get shouted at for "rolling in the grass", because I smelt like cat piss, even though we never had a cat.
I was so obssesed with it that I would try to skip my school lunch, so they kept an eye on me. I began asking for basically nothing, would wolf it down after 5 mintues, then ask to go. The teacher (Mrs Sawyer...bitch) wouldn't let me go as she said I had to eat something, so she made me sit down for another 10 minutes, and as I was so desperate to play I'd end up crying.
I'd also start fights because I took lunch time footy far too seriously, so I was sent to the bench for anything from 5 to 20 minutes, which would also make me cry.
Anyway after I was forced to stop playing for a few years, I got back but was never the same. The damn injury ruined my potential career
When I played for my team pre injury I picked up the supporters POTY (i.e parents), managers player of the year twice, and players POTY 3 times. I was captain of my school team, and would have been captain of the local team as the original captain lost the armband, and the manager said he was going to test to of us. Him in the 1st half, me in the 2nd. In the 1st half I had a shocker, and cost us two goals. Completely bottled it because I was so nervous. The manager "forgot" to give me the armband for the 2nd half so I was reduced to being vice-captain from then on.
There's my incredibly influential and inspiring story. You can put those tissues away now, especially you jasper, as I know you're the emotional type.
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