We make footballers childhood stories to keep fans informed on stories about the players they love. LifeBogger captures the most gripping, surprising and fascinating stories about football stars with reference to their childhood times to date. That what we are!
Every human on planet earth has a childhood story and football players are not from alien planets. Neither are they mutants with superpowers and psychic abilities. They are in-fact humans who can trace their descent to earthly ancestors.
Thus, like all humans, players, managers and even elite of the sport have childhood stories which detail fascinating and gripping events from their formative years through adolescence to the brinks of adulthood.
Lifebogger details notable childhood events of football players, managers and elite. From L-R: Van Dijk, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, Zinedine Zidane and Aleksander Ceferin. Image Credits: LB.At Lifebogger, we capture such early life stories which are important constituents of the interesting biographies that we present about football players, managers and elite around the world.
Reasons behind such noble pursuits is to contribute our quota towards improving the game of football, bearing in mind that the early-life pains, gains as well as vicissitudes of football players, managers and elite would not only provide some of the most valuable lessons in life but be of interest to those who are just starting out on their own journey.
Biographies or true football stories are important to young football enthusiasts among other things. Image Credit: GhHeadlines.Summarily, this article aims to give our audience a comprehensive idea of what we are by presenting early life events of football players, managers and elite under interesting headings that are well-conceived, articulately written and breathtaking.
Why Childhood Stories – Football Players and Elite Who Were Born Poor
Some football geniuses and elite were born poor, some inherited nothing, and others worked to untangle themselves from the clutches of poverty. Whichever way the events tilt, poverty was indeed a motivating factor that led to the famous rag to riches stories in football.
The uncharitable and dreaded 7 letter word identifies with the life and rise of Cristiano Ronaldo, brought out the best in Luis Suarez, neither did it spare elite; Roman Abramovich and Gianni Infantino but made Gabriel Jesus’ rise to fame motivating for millions of underprivileged kids in Brazil.
Suffering but smiling, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Gianni Infantino and Gabriel Jesus had struggling early lives. Image Credits: LB.Poverty became a powerful motivator despite being tragic for these footballers. Thankfully, the game of Football became the vehicle for them to improve their financial circumstances.
Why Childhood Stories – Football Players and Elite Who Were Born Rich
On the flip side, a number of football geniuses and elite were born great, some with silver spoons and others with diamond pacifiers. As a result, they had a great start to life and lived far above poverty margins.
The likes of Aleksander Caferin and Michel Platini were early equipped with the support they needed to live great lives while a host of football players like Mario Gotze, Andrea Pirlo and Gerard Pique were no strangers to wealth before achieving fame.
Mario Gotze, Gerard Pique and Andrea Pirlo were born into wealthy families. Image Credits: LB.Why Childhood Stories – Football Players Who Survived War and Riots as Kids
The childhood story of a great number of other footballer players cannot be told without pulling fans through a heart-wrenching journey of civil wars and riots that could have wiped the players out of existence.
A look into the early life of Nigerian born Victor Moses tells of the devastating effect of riots in Northern Nigeria, neither do Juan Cuadrado and Serge Aurier have happy memories of violence in the Colombia city of Necocli and Ivory Coast respectively.
Juan Cuadrado is one among a few football players that survived wars and riots during childhood. Image Credit: LB.Why Childhood Stories – Football Players who would have been long dead as a child
Long before he got to know about the game of football, Diego Costa had a bad experience that almost made his life gone.
A terrible event happened at that time Costa was just six months old. He was left by his mum who went to wash the dishes. Little Costa fell asleep on a mattress in his bedroom not knowing there was a poisonous snake behind him. When his mother returned from the kitchen to Costa’s bed, she saw a poisonous snake approaching her baby.
Josileide da Silva Costa had thought that it was a piece of tape, but this object which she considered as a tape was on the move towards her child. With a quick movement, she quickly pulled Costa’s hand to avoid him from the bite of that poisonous snake saving his life.
Why Childhood Stories – Football Players Whose Fathers Were Legends of The Sport
There’s no denying the fact that mentorship has helped aspiring football players to see the hope inside themselves especially when the mentors are no other people but biological fathers to the mentees.
Without further cliche like father, like son, we have Thiago Alcantara who took after his father Mazinho. Others include Saul Niguez who trod the paths of his father Antonio as well as Sergio Busquets who was modelled after his dad Carlos. Could any other form of heritage be richer?
Thiago Alcantara, Saul Niguez and Sergio Busquets are sons to football legends. Image Credits: LB.Why Childhood Stories – Football Players Who Dropped Out of School
A few football geniuses never had the patience to cooperatively sit down and take instructions from teachers, while some others did not graduate from high school as their football careers took an illustrious rise during their mid-teens.
The football players include legends like Pele, as well as former Brazilian professional footballer and ambassador for Barcelona – Ronaldinho. Moving down to players within the millennial age frame – at the time of writing – we have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona star – Lionel Messi who didn’t complete conventional education.
Ronaldinho, Messi and Pele had unstable education background during childhood. Image Credits: LB.Why Childhood Stories – Football Players Who Almost Quit Playing
It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. The maxim has been validated over the years in all fields of human endeavours bar none football. In fact, it has helped ensure that the world did not miss out on getting professional footballers who could have long quit during their career buildups.
Not many know that Wayne Rooney’s love for football fell apart like a pack of cards when he was just a 14-year-old kid. Similarly, there would have been no thrilling Ibrahimovich in the world of football if he wasn’t talked out of favouring life in the dockyards. On his part, Alisson Becker’s parents almost pulled him out of football because he kept recording slow biological growth even at the age of 15.
Young Wayne Rooney and Ibrahimovich almost quit playing football. Image Credits: LB.Why Childhood Stories – Football Players Who Started As Outfield Players
Dynamics is a word that is not just found in Physics texts, it exists in football given that the sport is also all about Physics. It all starts with the first significant step which footballers take at an early age by kicking a ball for the fun of it. Thereafter, they get engaged in street soccer or proceed to train with local teams and club academies.
While the football prodigies are at it, they are tried in different positions until their strongest area or forte is established. Thus, it is not surprising that some wandered from defensive positions to ply their trade upfront as strikers while a significant few like Thibaut Courtois fell a step back from being a defender to a become full-fledged goalkeeper. Similarly, David Gea was an outfield player until he felt at home within the dimensions of a goal post.
David Gea and Thibaut Courtois first trained as outfield players before they became goalkeepers. Image Credits: LB.FACT CHECK: Thanks for reading our Why Childhood Stories. At LifeBogger, we strive for accuracy and fairness. If you find something that doesn’t look right, please share with us by commenting below. We’ll always value and respect your ideas.