Manchester United newcomer Daniel James has lifted the lid on how he almost quit football when he was 12. The Welshman joined the Red Devils in summer this season and has seen off a great start to his career in the Premier League, scoring 3 goals in first 5 games for the club.
“At the start, when I got to nearly 12 years old, I actually nearly gave up football,” he told Inside United.
“I had a serious meeting with the coaches at Hull [for them] to say: ‘No, we think you’ve got the ability and we want you to stay on here’. Thankfully, from there, I did stay on.”
“There were times when I wasn’t enjoying it, but I think as a person I developed a lot, especially when I went to play my first game for Wales when I was 14,”
“I think that’s why I’ve come to be a winger now. Otherwise, I think I’d play in a different position.”
“Obviously, I did enjoy my football — it was just that I was missing out with friends,” he added. “But they are the sacrifices that sometimes you have to make as a footballer, to make it. I know nowadays there’s a lot more.”
“I was training three times a week, where most boys now are training every day. That’s the sacrifice you’ve got to make. It is difficult, especially for parents as well.”
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