For The Love (Part 2)

(Read part one here: https://steemit.com/introducemyself/@davidannobil/for-the-love-part-1-my-introduction-to-steemit)

Playing for Puma was a fantastic experience for me, as this was the first time that I was out of my comfort zone in terms of not
knowing anyone and being in an environment I was not used to. This was also the first time I heard of players my age playing and training for professional clubs as there was two players at Puma that were also at Tottenham Hotspur.

I had no idea of how football worked professionally or how you actually become a professional so being around the players and management at Puma proved very knowledgeable for me. I started to understand how football worked and also how competitive it was.

Playing competitive matches and training was a real shock also, as I imagined it to be more technical and skill based but it was nothing like that. Running was all we seemed to do ending with a match at the end. This seemed to be a common theme at grassroots level as football at this time was more about power and pace than technique and skill.

"HIT THE CHANNELS" "OVER THE TOP" were the most common phrases I heard while playing matches. Being small and not so fast I often found myself occupying the substitute bench.
I remember one time when I was playing, receiving the ball on the edge of my box after an opposition corner, taking the ball under control looking up and dribbling the ball forward with nobody around me, I heard my coach shouting at me "GET RID OF IT, STOP BEING GREEDY" this was a devastating thing for me to hear and it completely shattered my confidence.

For the next two years I really struggled with my football as I was told the way I liked to play football was the wrong way but on the other-hand I would have some parents telling me I should be playing abroad due to my style of play. I lost a lot of confidence during this period.

Thankfully not every coach embraced the power and pace way of playing, as to my surprise I got picked to represent my district Tower Hamlets and play for them. This was a timely boost to my confidence as I then decided to really go for my dream of becoming a professional footballer.

That summer before pre-season was due to start, I decided to write a letter to every single professional & semi-professional football team, detailing my attributes, hopes and dreams.
I got lots letters back saying thanks but no thanks, I didn't hear from others but I did get invited to train with one team which was fantastic news for me and I couldn't wait to get started.

To be continued...