Daily WHUFC News - 9th November 2015

Moses - We are ready for Spurs
WHUFC.com

West Ham United forward Victor Moses feels his team-mates can take a lot of
positives from the 1-1 draw with Everton and says they are already looking
forward to the big London derby against Tottenham on November 22. Moses was
voted man of the match and produced an impressive display as the Hammers had
to settle for a point at the Boleyn Ground. After suffering a disappointing
2-0 defeat against Watford, Slaven Bilic wanted a response from his players
and they showed an immediate reaction. Manuel Lanzini fired the home side
into the lead in spectacular fashion midway through the first half, but
conceded just before half-time when Romelu Lukaku scored against the Hammers
once again. Despite failing to hold onto their lead, Moses says the players
were pleased with their performance and feels they will only grow stronger
over the international break as they prepare for the derby clash at White
Hart Lane in two-weeks time. Moses said: "We will all look forward to the
Spurs encounter and we know it is a big game. "We know collectively and as
individuals that we can compete against them and come away with the three
points. There are no easy games in the Premier League but we are looking
forward to it. "Our heads were held high in the dressing room and I thought
we had a great game. We knew Everton were a good side with the strikers they
have got, but we competed well against them. "It was a silly mistake that we
made for their goal and that cost us. Apart from that I thought we played
well and had a few chances that we could have converted."

Moses enjoyed seeing Lanzini get on the scoresheet once again and feels the
Argentine forward will only grow stronger as the season progresses.
Moses added: "Manuel Lanzini is a quality player and has been since the
start of the season. The fans have been behind him and has done a great job
for the Club. "He scored a great goal and his first touch was fantastic. For
him to do that in the Premier League, you can see the quality he has got.
"We are very pleased with him and hopefully he will keep on improving with
the more games he plays and the more experience he gets. Everyone is behind
him.
"We all know that Payet is a great player and in football you are going to
get injuries. We had to re-shape and Valencia also got injured. It was one
of those days but hopefully they will come back stronger."

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West Ham forgotten man Michael Antonio a January target for Derby manager
Paul Clement
18:52, 8 NOV 2015 UPDATED 19:02, 8 NOV 2015
BY JOHN CROSS
The 25-year-old has barely featured since moving to Upton Park in the summer
and could leave the Hammers as early as January
The Mirror

Derby boss Paul Clement will go back with another bid for West Ham's
forgotten forward Michail Antonio in January. Promotion-chasing Derby had a
£5m bid turned down by bitter rivals Nottingham Forest in the summer and
their neighbours were reluctant to do business. Antonio, 25, ended up going
to West Ham for £7m but has barely played since moving to the Premier League
with big doubts whether he can make it in the top flight. West Ham chairman
David Gold was last week even caught up in a prank by a fan who duped him
into retweeting a missing person appeal - only for it to be Antonio. Derby
are still understood to be keen on the forward and the hope is now they
could get the done without Forest trying to block it. Forest did not want to
sell to Derby for fear of the fans' backlash but if he ends up going then it
will still cause a major stir. Clement has got his sights set on promotion
and wants to make reinforcements in January to bolster their results for the
rest of the campaign.

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Jack Collison accuses West Ham doctor of putting him at risk and ignoring
his injury problems
10:12, 8 NOV 2015 UPDATED 10:15, 8 NOV 2015
BY MIRROR FOOTBALL
The 27-year-old, who now plays for Peterborough United, eventually had to
undergo surgery for the knee injury that kept him out of action for more
than a year.
The Mirror

Jack Collison has accused a West Ham doctor of failing to properly treat an
injury he suffered playing for the club - and says the medic purposefully
put him at risk to suit his own agenda. The 27-year-old, who now plays for
Peterborough United, eventually had to undergo surgery for the knee injury
that kept him out of action for more than a year. Collison suffered the
injury playing against Wigan in 2009. He claims that rather than treat him
properly, the unnamed doctor encouraged him to carry on playing to avoid
having to deal with a long term patient. "I knew it was a bad one straight
away, I gripped on to the grass trying to stop the intense pain shooting
through my leg but nothing would work," he wrote in a column for The
Independent. "I was disappointed the next day when I found out the club
doctor was content for me to fly to Spain on a team trip rather than to get
my knee sorted. "This was one of the first times I realised there was more
that went on behind the scenes. People were in it for themselves, and over
the next year I felt how little regard there was for me as a young
professional. I considered I had been put at risk by this doctor to avoid
him having a long-term injury on his hands. How disappointing was that?"

It is unclear whether the doctor in question is still at West Ham.

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Zarate says he's sorry
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Unhappy Mauro Zarate has apologised to the Irons supporters for his part in
yesterday's game against Everton. The Argentine came on 20 minutes from the
end after Dimitri Payet and Enner Valencia had both been forced off through
injury. But he has made it clear he was far from content with his
contribution as the Hammers attempted to grab the three points and has made
a point of publicly saying sorry. It demonstrates the spirit within a squad
which is playing for each other like one rarely seen in recent years and
follows apologies frm Aaron Creswell and James Tomkins after mistakes .

Zarate declared: Mauro ZarateVerified account‏@mau_zeta
Really bad 20 minutes from me !! Sorry…

The appreciate fanbase have retweeted it 84 times and 234 have made it a
favourite.

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TC: Sakho is No 1 – he picks himself
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Boys of 86 hero Tony Cottee believes Diafro Sakho should get the nod over
Andy Carroll in West Ham's starting XI. In an interview as part of a special
edition of Blowing Bubbles Magazine that celebrates the 30th anniversary of
that fantastic third place finish by the Hammers, Cottee also spoke about
being sick and tired of seeing West Ham fail to win trophies. "Sakho is so
good that he picks himself,' Cottee said. "I like Valencia a lot. Jelavic I
see as being a squad player, third or fourth choice, and then there's the
matter of Carroll. "He's a great option to have, he gives you so much, but
I'm not sure at his age and this stage in his career that he's going to want
to just be a sub to be called upon as an option."

As for his frustrations at West Ham not winning a trophy for 35 years, he
added: "Since we last won a trophy, the likes of Birmingham, Swansea and
Wigan have won cups, and we haven't so clearly something is wrong." In his
column for the monthly magazine George Parris explained why Cottee's
partnership with McAvennie was so special. "They just had one of those
seasons where everything clicked. So much so they could've scored with their
backsides!", he wrote. "Every time we walked out to play, you just felt one
of them was going to score. Even if they only got one chance, you just knew
they'd take it." He later wrote: "I think it will be very tough for West
Ham to match our third place finish. Winning the FA Cup would be just as
good a feeling though."

Elsewhere in the November issue of the magazine, Sky Sports' Bianca Westwood
reflects on her recent interview with Andy Carroll and how he has hailed the
Bilic factor as we all dare to think big. "The biggest thing I took away
from my interview with Andy was that whenever he spoke about Slaven, it was
clear that he really has this likeability factor about him," she wrote.. "He
said the players respect him and they did so instantly. He has this aura
about him and he is a manager they all look up to because of what he has
achieved."

Meanwhile, Blowing Bubbles has a moving piece by the Yellow Advertiser's
reporter Brian Jeeves on his father's West Ham passion. They've also got a
report from a Bradford City fan on how they've fallen in love with Reece
Burke and how great he has been for them this season. "Even at this
relatively early stage in the season, it's probably not hyperbolic to cast
him among the front-runners for the Player of the Year award, he's been that
good," Katie Whyatt writes. Blowing Bubbles' writers also give their views
on Amalfitano's exit, this summer's Saido Berahino sage ahead of our game
against West Brom, and ponder whether Big Sam can get Sunderland out of
relegation trouble.

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Carroll fears dismissed
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Fears that Andy Carroll has taken another knock and may be heading back to
the treatment table have been dismissed by West Ham. Upton Park held its
collective breath towards the end of yesterday's 1-1 draw with Everton as
the striker appeared to have taken a knock in the closing stages of the
game before being subbed by Jelavic with two minutes left. In fact the
record signing had not been moving comfortably for some time prior to that
and given his previous injury record there was immediate speculation that he
had again found trouble. But the club made it clear to ClaretandHugh that
the striker is in good order saying: "It was a tactical substitution. Andy
is fine, there are no problems with him." Both Dimi Payet and Enner Valencia
are heading for scans tomorrow after suffering ankle injuries and at this
stage there is no further comment from inside the club on their positions.

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Payet and Valencia left stadium on crutches
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Dimtri Payet was photographed leaving the Boleyn Ground on crutches wearing
a protective boot on Saturday evening by Hammers fans as this blurry photo
shows. Enner Valencia was also witnessed leaving the stadium on crutches.
Both face scans on Monday at West Ham's private hospital to find out the
extent of their injuries but the use of crutches for both players is not a
welcome sign to Hammers fans

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Video: Lunge on Payet worth red all day long!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

This freeze frame in time shows the two footed uncontrolled lunge which many
have argued including pundits on Match of the day should have seen James
McCarthy sent off. Dimtri Payet was injured from this challenge which meant
he had to come off in the second half and we await nervously for the results
of his scan on Monday. Slaven Bilic agrees "I didn't see the tackle, but
people told me it should have been a red card. I will have to look at it
again but our player has been injured. I don't know how bad it is, but it
was bad enough that he couldn't finish the game," West Ham Chairman David
Gold tweeted "It's hard to say how long Dimitri will be out until after the
scans on Monday but let's hope he's back for Spurs. dg"

https://vine.co/v/eLYDeKOlgnZ

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Farewell Boleyn: We honour our Irons fallen
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 8, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

It's Remembrance Day and during these special 24 hours we pay homage to
those Hammers who died in the two world wars. We brought you Part One
yesterday and here ClaretandHugh's historian and lifelong supporter Nigel
Khan brings you more of our fallen.

Sydney Hammond

Born in Woolwich, London 1883, Hammond joined the club as an amateur in
1904. His claret and blue career spanned four years in which he only managed
32 League and 2 FA Cup appearances for the club. Worked as a commercial
clerk and lived in Twickenham Road, Leytonstone and enlisted into the Royal
Field Artillery in Romford. When he died on October 18, 1917 Hammond was
recorded as being in C Battery 242nd Brigade who at the time were fighting
in the Passchendaele region. Sydney Hammond is buried in La Clytte
Cemetery, Belgium

Arthur Stallard

Born September 1892 in Hackney, by 1901 he was living with his family At 526
Barking Road E13, which is now occupied by a chemist shop, located just
past the old Castle public house at the Greengate junction. Stallard joined
West Ham from Chatham in 1913 and played for the Hammers in two Southern
League campaigns making 13 appearances and scoring eight goals before
hostilities stopped competitive competitions. Stallard competed in the War
time London Combination for the Hammers until the end of the 1916/17 season
in which he played 37 games scoring 25 goals with his last appearance being
a 2-0 loss to Millwall in April 1917. By late 1917 he was in the London
Regiment (London Scottish) 14th Battalion. During the battle of Cambrai
(north east France) which was an assault that lasted 17 Days, (20th November
– 7th December) The British made early gains but the Germans launched an
offensive on the November 28th, on the 30th the Germans are believed to have
exploded 16,000 shells over allied lines. And it was on that fateful day
that Arthur Stallard is listed as dying. He has no Grave but is commemorated
on the Cambrai Memorial. He is the only player registered with West Ham at
the time of his death.

Frederick Griffiths

Born 1876 in Presteigne in the county of Powys mid Wales, a Welsh
international keeper who played 52 times for West Ham United between 1902
and 1904. Served Stalybridge, Millwall, Preston North End and Tottenham
Hotspur before joining the Hammers. Moved on to New Brompton the forerunner
of Gillingham in the close season 1904. Worked as a coal miner in the
Midlands before enlisting in the Notts and Derbyshire (Sherwood Forest)
Regiment. His battalion found themselves just across the Belgium Border
south and east of Dunkirk; a diary entry from October 30, 1917 reads: "30:
4am: Very heavy artillery fire on ground immediately behind our front line.
6am: Our snipers hit several enemy seen running about in the wood east of
Marechal House. Our casualties today 1 officer and 4 OR killed, 1 officer
and 14 OR wounded." One of those killed that day was Frederick Griffiths who
is buried in Dozingham Cemetery in Belgium

William Jones

Born Penrhiweiber, Wales in 1876. William Jones became the first West Ham
United player to be capped for his country when he played for Wales v.
England in 1902. Moved from Aberdare to Kettering Town in September 1901.
Unable to settle with the aptly named Poppies, he was involved in a straight
swap for West Ham's Peter Kyle in December 1901. Jones made his West Ham
debut in the 2-1 victory over Swindon Town at the Memorial Grounds on the
14th December 1901, William went onto record another 14 Southern League
appearances at centre-half before returning to the valleys at the season's
end to join Aberamen whom he helped steer to the final of the Welsh Cup in
1903. He left Aberamen to join a club named Rogerstone in 1904 and stayed
until 1906. William joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers 11th Battalion in the
Balkans and was killed on the May 6, 1918 by Lake Doiran, Greece. An extract
from a War diary for 7th May 1918 records: "Patrol lead by Lt J. Tinniswood
and 12 OR,s proceeded to within a short distance of PILL BOX and found two
bodies which they were unable to bring in owing to bombs being thrown and
rifle fire opened and wounding two men seriously."

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Jack Collison: The story of one footballer's broken Premier League dreams
The image of a Premier League footballer is one of glamour and wealth. But
for some it can be more complicated and darker than that. Like millions, the
author of this article dreamt of playing a the top level. Unlike the vast
majority, he made it - only to have his career shattered by a series of
devastating injuries freom which he is still recovering. Here, at the age of
27, he tells his own story: one of ecstatic highs but also pain and sorrow -
and growing up
Jack Collison Saturday 7 November 20159 comments
The Independent


It's Saturday again and I'm not playing football.

I am 27 years old and I have tasted success, felt the hurt and experienced
loss, all thanks to the beautiful game that is football – a game that can
fill you with the highest, most joyous feelings, yet take them away with a
single action, leaving you in a dark, desperate place.

When three o'clock arrives the disappointment and sadness reaches its peak.
In happier times I would be strolling out on to the pitch in front of
thousands of fans ready to take on some of the most gifted players in the
world.

Instead I find myself searching. Searching for something to fill that void,
something to recreate the extraordinary emotional highs and lows you
experience during 90 minutes of kicking a ball around. It's hard to explain
that intense feeling of sheer joy to someone who hasn't experienced it. How
can you recreate that feeling of scoring a goal in front of a packed house
at Upton Park? It's impossible.

The rush is like a drug. You become addicted. You're part of an elite club,
a club I am no longer part of, a club that I long to be part of once more. I
am here today fighting against the odds. I want that feeling to return.
That's why I find myself pushing my body to the limits daily, going through
the pain barrier. And I am very pleased to say I am now in the position to
return to doing what I love doing most: playing football.

I grew up in south Harrow, in the west London suburbs, and even from an
early age I was obsessed with the game. I was the kid who always had a ball
by his side, often taking a smelly, dirty ball to bed with me at night. My
room was a shrine to the game, posters lining my walls, including a
full-size picture of David Beckham, the player I idolised.

The garden was my arena, the place I spent hours on end practising my
skills, re-enacting goals and more often than not dreaming of one day
playing in the Premier League.

My mum, Amanda, took care of the family while my dad, Ian, would go out to
work as a roofer. My mum was certainly the strong character, always in
control. My dad, on the other hand, was a bit of a cheeky chap. He was often
in trouble but he had a magnetic personality. Fortunately for me, he was
just as obsessed with football as I was, and this was where my love for the
game was embedded into my DNA. Chelsea were his team, and so they were mine
too: the likes of Dennis Wise and Franco Zola were my childhood heroes.

Whether it was in the playground with my friends, down the park, or playing
for my local team, Shefford Saints, I would dream of playing in the Premier
League. I was obsessed, and over time I began to realise I was starting to
become pretty good at the game. At the age of nine I was spotted and signed
for Peterborough United. We got treated like professionals even at a young
age and I loved the environment. I thrived on being written off when we
played the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United. This underdog spirit is
something that remained within me and was always backed up thanks to the
calming advice of our coach, Kit Carson. Kit really believed in me and
pushed me harder than anyone else.

It was then that I suffered what was to be the first of many setbacks in my
footballing life. Peterborough closed down their youth system. It was only a
short-term problem, however, because alongside Kit and many team-mates, I
made the switch to Cambridge United. I stayed with Cambridge until the age
of 16 – and then they closed down their youth system as well.

But I soon found out West Ham were interested and had to pinch myself
because that would give me the chance to work with Tony Carr, the man who
had helped shape the careers of some of my idols, such as Frank Lampard,
Michael Carrick and Joe Cole. West Ham was a real step up but I adapted and
got my head down and worked hard. From youth team captain to reserve team
captain and eventually training and travelling with the first team to games.
I was so close to my dream of Premier League football, first with Alan
Pardew in charge of the first team, and then under Alan Curbishley.

There were times when I wondered if it would happen – and then suddenly it
did. On New Year's Day 2008. An away game against Arsenal in the famous
claret and blue of West Ham (left). I entered the field as a replacement for
Freddie Ljungberg and played out the last 60 minutes in a 2-0 defeat by a
very good Arsenal side. Alan Curbishley's last words before I went on will
live with me for the rest of my life. "Try and get close to Fabregas," he
said. A near impossible task for the seasoned pros, let alone a lanky
19-year-old.

I remember warming up with James Tomkins and getting abuse for our shocking
haircuts. I watched on in awe of these wonderful players, thinking to myself
"I'm miles away from being as good as this lot". In truth I felt out of my
depth that day, but that little taste was all I needed to inspire me to work
even harder.

I struggled for opportunities after that with Curbishley in charge but
everything changed for me when Zola took over as manager.

I was amazed to find out that Zola the man was even more impressive than
this wonderful footballer I had watched from the terraces as a kid. He
captured our imagination with his very first meeting, as he spoke with his
soft voice. He didn't have to shout, as he instantly had the respect of the
entire squad. He created an excitement, a real buzz around the training
ground, something that had been missing for a while.

Though I was around the squad, in my mind I still wasn't a first-team
player. But that didn't matter to Zola, he took an interest in everyone and
the extra work we did at the end of training improved my game massively. I
felt I was ready but had to wait my chance. It eventually came in a cold
away trip to Old Trafford. I came on for the last half hour and, though I
say it myself, did really well.

The next game, Everton at home, I felt I would get an opportunity again.
Every game I had featured in previously was away from the Boleyn, but this
game had a different buzz. It was at home, in front of a full house. I
remember walking out to warm up and stopping for a second to take it all in.
the smell of the grass, the noise from the expectant crowd, the vibrant
colours.

For me this was heaven. Everything I had dreamt of – and more.

I entered the pitch early on as a substitute and got a huge roar from the
home faithful, which gave me a huge boost, and I set about my work trying to
impress. In a tight game I finally got the chance I longed for.

A long ball over the top to Scott Parker, he managed somehow to flick it
back into my path. I took a touch out of my feet and opened my body up…

At this moment everything stood still, the noise stopped, I looked down at
the ball and tried to make clean contact. The ball slowly sailed past Tim
Howard and into the top corner. All of a sudden the noise erupted, the
colours became even brighter. I had just scored my first goal in the Premier
League and this intense feeling shot through my body. Sheer excitement, joy
and disbelief all at the same time. Although we lost the game 3-1 that
feeling has always stayed with me, and I think that moment was the start of
my special bond with the West Ham fans.

Over the next few seasons we experienced plenty of highs and lows together.
I had a great run in the team under Zola, but just three days after scoring
a winner against Manchester City in March 2009 my footballing world fell
apart. On a cold, wet night at Wigan I tried to bring the ball down on my
chest and I felt my knee go as I tried to run in the opposite direction. I
knew it was a bad one straight away, I gripped on to the grass trying to
stop the intense pain shooting through my leg but nothing would work.

I couldn't quite believe what had just happened. I was disappointed the next
day when I found out the club doctor was content for me to fly to Spain on a
team trip rather than to get my knee sorted. This was one of the first times
I realised there was more that went on behind the scenes. People were in it
for themselves, and over the next year I felt how little regard there was
for me as a young professional. I considered I had been put at risk by this
doctor to avoid him having a long-term injury on his hands. How
disappointing was that?

I patched the knee up and made a return a couple of months later, but as
time wore on I knew it didn't feel right. It was a tough decision but
eventually I knew I had to have a big operation. I managed to play over half
the season, but we were struggling in the League and it got to the point
where I was hardly training and just playing games with the promise I could
see the best people in the world to make it right at the end of the season.

I didn't make it to the end of the season and had to go in myself and tell
the manager that I could no longer continue. He seemed shocked and I'm not
sure to what extent he knew of my situation with my knee. Once again I felt
the doctor's agenda was very different to mine and being naive and not
wanting to miss any football I went along with the plan, not realising the
lasting effects it could have on my career.

It was during this tricky time I also lost my dad. He was killed in a
motorcycle accident and I can remember the day as if it were yesterday.
Everything about it. Tottenham at home in the League, a game my dad would
have been at. I remember coming into the players lounge afterwards and
noticing my dad wasn't there. It wasn't strange for my dad to go missing,
but this felt different. I tried to call and text but there was no reply.

I headed home and remember settling down to watch highlights of the cricket.
Then my buzzer went. As I looked out of my flat window my heart sank. I
could see the police waiting to come in. "What's going on?" I thought, and
all the time in my head I was thinking: "It must be dad".

At first I thought he had got himself in a spot of bother. But as the
policeman spoke to me, I knew it was more. He had a sad look in his eyes and
struggled to make eye contact with me. And then he uttered the devastating
words: "Your dad has been involved in a fatal motorbike accident." I felt
numb. I felt empty. I was upset, annoyed and in a complete state of shock.

Emotion was running through me as I burst into tears. I couldn't control
them as I made the phone call to my mum to let her know what had happened. I
was 20.

It's hard to explain exactly how I felt, but I decided to play in a cup game
three days later and I knew it was the right thing to do. It was a massive
game against Millwall, our local rivals, and I knew my dad would have been
there cheering me on under the lights at Upton Park. It was such an
emotional night and one that I will never, ever forget. This was the night
the football family came together. My team-mates, the staff and the West Ham
fans carried me through what was the toughest game of football I have and
ever will play in.

The intense feelings were very different. It's hard to find anything that
can make you feel 10-feet tall when all you want to do is roll up into a
ball and cry and let the world swallow you up.
I battled on for much of that season despite my chronic injuries then
eventually had the operation. After that I worked day and night for 14
months alongside some of the best people I have ever met in the game. When
you talk about being tested, this period in my life was definitely the
toughest, but it was also the time when I learnt the most about myself as a
person. I grew up and had to become a man.

My first start after this was one of mixed emotions. Once again, we had
Wigan away. I had worked so hard to make it back and was desperate to try
and do my bit for the team. We were really struggling in the League, and I
was helpless throughout the whole season, kicking and heading every ball as
a fan, it really was torturous.

Strangely the day of my comeback – 15 May, 2011 – also turned out to be the
day that we got relegated. It's hard to explain, but I felt so grateful at
the time to be out on the pitch again that the disappointment of being
relegated took slightly longer to hit me then it did for some of the others.

Relegation meant the end for Avram Grant and in came Sam Allardyce. The
following season, under Big Sam, was possibly my most successful in a West
Ham shirt. I played 36 games and scored vital goals to help win promotion
back into the Premier League. And there were more of those ecstatic highs
when I scored twice in the play-off semi-final to help us on our way to
Wembley. This feeling was heightened when we beat Blackpool 2-1 on the big
day in front of a packed house.

On a personal level I struggled throughout the game with my shoulder and my
knee, but there was no way I was going to come off. It was a day you dream
of as a kid, and going up the stairs to collect my medal was a special
moment, one that fills me with pride when I think back on it.

But if that was an unforgettable high, there were plenty of lows to come in
the next two seasons as I battled against injury once again and struggled to
force my way into the team. Knee troubles were once more the root of the
problem and limited my playing time once again. Two short loan spells and
another injury were to follow.

By the end of the 2013-14 season I found myself without a club and out of
contract. Of course I was disappointed to be leaving West Ham. It was all
that I had known since I was 16. This was a club I had sweated, bled and
often played on injured for. It was also a club I had grown to love. In my
heart I knew my time was coming as I hadn't been playing, but it was very
difficult to let go.
Last season was another wasted one for me, a brief spell at Ipswich followed
by another injury left me once again in a very dark place and without a job.
It was at this point that I took the time to re-evaluate and made the
decision to have some time away from football. I felt I needed to let my
injuries heal and to give myself the best chance of a comeback.

It was a very difficult decision to make. It's hard when in your heart you
feel like you can play football but your body can't quite do what you want
it to.

I put my head down and worked hard, day and night to get my body right and
be able to go back to playing. I also used my spare time to set up the Jack
Collison Soccer School, start a university degree (in sports journalism) and
begin my coaching badges. All of the areas would be of value to me if I
didn't quite achieve my goal. But I did them all as a back-up, never once
doubting that I would make it back on to a football pitch.

During the darkest times I was very lucky to have strong people around me.
Having a daughter and a supportive fiancée helps when you really hit the
floor. Coming home after a tough day, it's nice to have to chase a crazy
two-year-old around. It really helped take my mind away from the bad stuff
and appreciate what I do have.

Finally in June I felt I was ready. I was fit and in shape, ready to train
and once again on the look-out for a new team. I eventually signed for
Peterborough United. It felt right, with the slightest hint of a fairytale
in that I was going back to where it had started all those years ago as an
energetic nine-year-old.

But even now my story is not over. I have played quite a few times for the
Posh this season but not as much as I would have liked. I'm still working
day and night to improve and get back to playing week in, week out.

The dream is still there but the reality of a footballer's life is not quite
what I imagined as a kid growing up. I am 27 now and looking back at my
football life, I have experienced a wide variety of feelings and challenges.
Some amazing, and so intense that they make me tingle when I think about
them. Others not so good, but which have helped me grow as a person.

I feel very thankful for everything I have and if you ever see me on the
pitch nowadays, more often than not I will have a huge smile on my face. I
treat every game, every training session and every moment on the grass as if
it will be my last. I try not to get too carried away with being
disappointed as it is an accomplishment in itself that I can call myself a
professional footballer.

I look back on it all as a great adventure, a story with plenty of ups and
downs. I feel blessed to say that this is my story and one that I hope still
has plenty in it. I am very thankful now when three o'clock on Saturday
arrives and even more so if I am playing.

Because there is one thing I know for sure. And that is that I am Jack
Collison… the footballer.

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