Social.

Obviously, I'm one of five.

No.

One of six.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Talk about your love of football growing up.

Well, I used to sort of hang around with my uncles.

You know, there are a lot older than me and try and play one bounce and warn you of them on little waste.

Someone to go and play with people my own age.

I didn't sort of that.

That's at that young age.

See myself getting to where I've got to, you know, until I started getting into a team and stuff like that.

And that's when it's off for Right?

Okay, this is something I want to do for a career, and I got a passion for it.

I read that you used to play in the cages around co venture in the unique name one Wembley.

Is that Is that true?

What?

The cages like that?

Well, yeah, The cages come at a later date.

When there, when the area, you know, come off a little bit.

Building runner.

At first, it was a sucker like a gas boiler of war painted a painting, a wall, a gold on their sorry.

Just literally love lines of white paint and that was Wembley and everyone would play in this, like little court stones and everything around.

But it's basically one.

Do you want?

Everyone won't be one and you go through to the next round, and that's where we start off.

All the people around the area, all different ages was Gil's playing as well.

Everyone just sort of come together.

And so I just had a barefoot.

So obviously, I'm one of five.

No.

One of six.

Sorry, sorry.

I want to see Oh, definitely 1171 of six and you obviously single more.

So it's difficult for her to sort of get me back and forth the training.

So So when I got the opportunity to go in, I was going with one of the one of the guys who lived 20 minutes away.

It was very serious.

That's what you engage.

And for me, I just wanted to have fun enjoy, enjoy with my friends.

So, yeah, I took a time out, went back this in their league and played that for a little bit longer.

As I was growing up, they kept trying to come back and get me to go in and stay in.

It wasn't until I got older and they said one of the scouts would pick me up for training and injustice.

This was probably 15 or so important part in development course, definitely.

So he's basically said to me, You know, what was going on trial at different places?

I went on trial a Forest said I weren't good enough when on trial at West, Bram said I wasn't good enough one on trial, then at Coventry on the patrol game and scored a hat trick against Stoke.

I think it wa ce in this little friendly, they offered me a contract straightaway.

But I said, Listen only on one condition.

Basically, if I could get a lift back and forth to training you said that the brothers sisters, that you had a single mom.

How proud amount was that for them?

When you you you're playing for Coventry and you're getting your line moves and it looks like that is gonna be the part that you take a look.

Yeah, they were holding hands out the O.

Yes, obviously for them, you know, it's massive playing for your hometown You know, they all used to come watch my games and things like that.

And when I was breaking through at Coventry, I made my debut at the Rico Arena.

But I'll support them growing up as a kid.

So it was massive for me and obviously proud for Soviet everyone granddaughter things that that, you know, they always down a social club got on the sky on the big screen and everyone in that chair in the way.

The percentage of players that actually turned pro, even from academies.

It's so small you was thinking, What is my backup if it doesn't quite work?

No, I didn't have, You know, I'm not the brightest spot for me.

Ah, case of them.

Yeah, basically sort off for me.

I was Yeah.

You know, obviously I put all my eggs in one basket, really?

And was like, I ever make it or don't.

And then obviously, if I don't make it, and I think about what I'm gonna do afterwards, you know, and had force about being a p e teacher or things like that, But I always like I say, just put everything into football and fort, right?

This is my sole focus now Ever make it?

Then at least I'll give everything to this.

Obviously, it's a humbling experience.

But then you get sent her off steps off.

Not too bothered about their diet, you know, a bit more larger than usual thing.

You know, you're in a 50 50 then and lifted.

Basically, it's one of those things, I guess.

Like I say, it's gonna toughen you open and stripped for new mentally and physically book.

Also help me improve tactically.

You know, Bormann obviously showed interest and it was the next step for me.

Always believed I'd get to the permanent wanted to, but don't obviously back in or is it is it is another thing.

So I was in league one square, my goals and I fought right.

Okay.

I want to get, you know, improving Go higher.

So I felt like the championship with probably the next dedicated and establish myself Almost.

Plans were to get to probably two years it match mine.

So it was a good fit, you know, I felt like this was the place of me to improve.

And then him moving our first season, Yeah, obviously got goals, which was nice.

And then he got promoted.

It was about your first game for born within the Premier League.

And what that meant was that one of the things you dreamt up as a kid?

Yeah, definitely in a primitive.

Definitely got here running, right.

Okay.

You know, this is what you've dreamt about all the all this time, and now it's gonna try to make it make your statement in this league.

You know, you watch in great players week in, week out, forget everything that's going on outside of salt, the dressing room outside in Lee.

Just focus on game by game.

And you know, whoever you're playing against where it's just display gets the opposition, you know, not bad for our u career.

You've had a few injuries.

How would you say you've come back from them on fought back so well, it's where you are now.

Yeah, I feel like, obviously have come back from them.

Well, but that's from probably my mentality.

You know, first and foremost, obviously wantedto come back to the same, you know, level you was before so more ways.

Making sure that I can improve and, you know, also saw off.

Not wanting to go back to where I come from.

If you go, I mean, so that's always been my drives.

When you get back and you get an injury, people writing you off saying is he gonna come back the same career?

Obviously, when you have an a, C o goes downhill and I'm like, No, that's not happening to me, you know, making sure I'm going to keep going on on New York.

That was crazy because you know, I'm working hard and there was talk before I got injured about call ups and things like that.

And then it's not right.

You've had that sort off attention before, and now it's about putting it, you know, something concrete.

And then ultimately, to call up game.

I thought, I'm gonna just go enjoy the experience and embrace it, and I found out, you know, I think it's the Tuesday that I was gonna be playing, thinking Jesus plans off down there in Wembley to actually going to be playing at Wembley on.

I think it's on the telly as well, which is it was even more nice for the people that couldn't get down on Dhe.

And yeah, you know you start in the game.

You know, you've probably got at least 67 minutes.

Some thinking was I wanted this one chance playing chance calms goes and I'm like, No, but I think you're right.

Stay focused.

You know, you still got however, many years ago, I think, yeah, eventually got the goal.

And, you know, I'm just Finally I read that thing's gonna quite different for you because you're into football.

A kickboxing, a zit.

You chose football.

Why?

From the kickboxing tennis?

And I am so I dont as growing up, you know, just to sort of a self defense thing for on my area.

Got to saw off.

14 15 started going on football trials.

They started m colliding, clashing with days of kickboxing and the days of the football.

So obviously I was playing on the Saturday as opposed to a Sunday Kickboxing was always on the Saturday So So you have to choose.

Basically only had three fights and I think it was and they were like Are you could really progressing kickboxing.

So it's a decision to make, Really What for?

Could could progress in the most of what's in the most money.