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If I could turn back the clock and replay my football journey, there are definitely things I would do differently. And not just on the pitch — off it too.
As a teenager, football was everything to me. I was completely focused, driven, and pushing hard to make it. I was playing at a high level with Tonbridge Angels U18s and felt like I was on the right path. But everything changed when I broke my leg at 16. What should have been a temporary setback ended up altering the course of my entire football journey.
More than a broken leg
During my recovery, I felt completely alone. There was very little support, emotionally or mentally, from the football environment around me. The sense of isolation was overwhelming. I wasn’t just dealing with a broken leg. I was dealing with a broken sense of identity, purpose and belonging. And because no one around me was talking about mental health or how to navigate these moments, I quietly drifted. I lost focus, began spending time with the wrong crowd, and gradually, that spark I once had for the game started to fade.
The pressure to prove
I continued playing into my mid-twenties with Tonbridge Angels Reserves, but if I’m honest, I never quite reached the level I knew I was capable of. Looking back now, I can see just how important mental health is, especially for young players. When you’re growing up in a performance-driven environment, there’s a constant pressure to prove yourself, to bounce back quickly, to never show weakness. But that pressure, if not managed with the right support, can lead to burnout, anxiety, or, like in my case, a gradual loss of connection with the game you once loved.
What I would change?
Thankfully, conversations around mental health in sport have come a long way. But even today, I hear stories of young players at academies and semi-professional clubs who feel overlooked, unsupported or under relentless pressure. These are talented kids, full of potential, who are often expected to handle huge emotional challenges without the right tools or guidance. It simply is not good enough.
If I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn’t just focus on recovery and getting back on the pitch. I would focus on my well-being too. I would seek out the right voices, the right spaces and the right support to help me navigate the tough times. Because football should be about more than just performance. It should be about people. And when we put people first, that is when players truly thrive.
This is a big part of why Big Bear exists today. We want young players to fall in love with the game and feel supported, not just as athletes, but as people. Because no matter how far they go in football, their mental health and self-worth should never be left on the sidelines.
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