I started playing around 6 or 7 up until my muscle tear around 16. I think it gave me balance but more important is it gave me mental acuity and tactical wisdom. I used to play as a cm, I had to not only see where to make passes, how to find space but also learn how to make decisions and I’ve found that, the way I determine which decisions to make have been influenced by football. Football is such a circumstantial and decision-based game, that’s why players like Iniesta, Messi, De Bruyne etc. are the best among a sea of really talented players, because they not only see things others can’t see, but their decision making and how they reach those decisions is something really worth taking note not just in Football but in life as a whole.

I don’t know man. Kids have endless amounts of energy. I remember running around all day, do you even get muscles injuries as a kid? I’m genuinely curious, like can you pull a calf muscle?

Everyone is talking about physically injuries but for me it was mental. When I was a teen I was so competitive, I wanted play all the time and win all the time. I never quite got to academy level, but my school was one of the best in the region so there was an expectancy on us. And I played Sunday football, which was always way too serious. But by the age of 20 I’d totally fallen out of love with the game and used to get really anxious before games. I only kept going till mid-twenties cos my dad is football mad and I though he’d be annoyed if i quit. I think the amount I played in my teens was too much, that I just got burnout mentally.

Like last year and have had 1 injury

The level of arrogance it takes to believe that you know better than a Premier League’s team youth academy what is best for young footballers… God, how pampered were you? 😂