ACADEMY BALLERS USE NATURE TO UP THEIR GAME
by Nadeem Perera for Hero Hyena
Photos by Mathew Nguyen // Looks by RAINS
The only view in England protected by law is on Richmond Hill, West London. Tucked away in the most affluent corner of the city, this view has been deemed of such value to locals for so long that it daren’t be changed.
Richmond Hill Viewpoint features the Thames running SW out of the chokehold of London’s congested streets and polluted air and into the rolling green of surrounding county, Surrey. After all that’s what the rich folk of the 1800s moved there for - to escape the busyness (and probs working people) of Central London. Glad they found their happy place.
Manny Longelo, 23, Birmingham City FC and Liam Jones, 18, most recently West Ham United, are both young footballers who were picked up by academies before they were teenagers. They have carried huge pressure and faced massive scrutiny both on and off the pitch.
For lots of our nations favourite ballers, the glamorous, luxury laden lifestyle begins on the humble British council estate (equivalent to a ‘housing project’ in US) as it did for Manny in East London. How does a kid cope with these huge shifts in lifestyle and surroundings?
The boys joined me for my favourite walk around Richmond to share their stories and insights for fans, youngsters and clubs to learn from and see if nature can have a role to play in it all.
Liam Jones, 18
Q: YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE IN A FRIENDLY BIRDING COMPETITION TODAY AS WELL AS ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS. YOU’VE GOT A LIST OF BIRDS, EACH WORTH A DIFFERENT AMOUNT OF POINTS. WHOEVER GETS THE MOST POINTS WINS. YOU BOYS READY?
M: YEAH, I CAN ALREADY SEE A CROW
L: I RECKON THATS A JACKDAW TBH
HH: YES, LIAM, THAT IS JACKDAW INDEED! MANNY YOU SAW IT FIRST BUT LIAM GOT THE ID RIGHT! 1-0 LIAM!
Q: BOYS, TALK US THROUGH YOUR BACKGROUND IN FOOTBALL FROM THE START OF YOUR JOURNEY?
L: SO MY DAD WAS A PLAYER AT WEST HAM SO I GOT ALWAYS SUPPORTED WEST HAM. IT WAS A NO BRAINER WHEN THEY CAME IN AND SHOWED INTEREST. I WAS WITH THEM FROM THE AGE OF 6 AND BEEN WITH THEM FOR 12 YEARS NOW.
M: I WAS KICKING BALL ON MY ESTATE IN BARKING EVERY DAY FROM SUNRISE TO SUNSET. I STARTED PLAYING FOR A SUNDAY LEAGUE TEAM AND SOON GAINED INTEREST FROM WEST HAM. SIGNED THERE AND PLAYED UNDER SOME INCREDIBLE COACHES AND MADE A COUPLE OF STARTS FOR THE FIRST TEAM.
Q: LIAM, YOU’RE NOW 18 YEARS OLD, WHAT HAS HELPED YOU COPE WITH THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE GAME?
L: OBVIOUSLY MY DAD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG HELP HAVING HAD A CAREER IN THE GAME. ALSO SOME OF THE COACHES AT WEST HAM HAVE HAD CAREERS IN THE PREM. CARLTON COLE IS ONE OF THOSE WHO HAS HELPED ME IMPROVE MY MENTALITY WHICH IS KEY TO THE GAME.
Q: MANNY, WHAT’S IT LIKE AS A YOUNG BOY FROM THE BLOCK TO MAKING A START FOR A PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM?
M: IT’S GREAT BUT I TRY TO STAY HUMBLE BECAUSE I’VE SEEN PLAYERS GET THEIR CHANCE AND FUMBLE IT. I STILL WASN’T REGULAR IN THE FIRST TEAM BUT I MANAGED TO PROVE MYSELF ENOUGH TO SECURE A LOAN SPELL AT BIRMINGHAM CITY WHO EVENTUALLY SIGNED ME AND I THINK THAT’S WHERE MY CAREER REALLY BEGAN
Manny Longelo, 23
Q: YOU SIGN FOR BIRMINGHAM AND NOW YOU’RE IN THE FIRST TEAM WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT TO BEING A ROTATION PLAYER AT WEST HAM. WHAT’S SOME OF THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED TO DEAL WITH THIS CHANGE?
M: JUST TAKE IT AS IT COMES. YOU CAN’T PREDICT ANYTHING. IF YOU KEEP WORKING HARD, YOU’LL BE GOOD. YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST GAME!
Q: WE’RE NOW HEARING SOME JACKDAWS AND CROW BEEFING - THE JACKDAWS ARE THE SMALLER COUSINS TRYING TO CLEAR THE BIGGER CROW OFF THEIR PATCH!
M: I CANT LIE THATS KINDA FASCINATING - I DIDN’T KNOW BIRDS GET IT CRACKIN’ LIKE THAT!
Q: LIAM, YOU STARTED OFF AS AN ATTACKER BUT YOU’RE NOW PLAYING AS A DEFENDER, WITH 11 GOAL INVOLVEMENTS IN YOUR LAST 34 GAMES. GOOD NUMBERS FOR A DEFENDER. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HAVE ATTACKING CAPABILITY BUT BEING TOLD THAT YOU NEED TO PLAY AS A DEFENDER?
L: I LOVE ATTACKING BUT I'M LEARNING TO ENJOY MY DEFENSIVE ROLE DESPITE IT BEING MENTALLY CHALLENGING AT THE START. WITH MY COACHES I’VE HAD TO ADAPT MY GAME A LOT… LIKE THE CROW INIT? AND IT’S DEFINITELY IMPROVED MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE GAME.
Q: SOME READERS MAY NOT KNOW THAT WEST HAM V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR IS A MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE/LONDON DERBY. I’M SURE THAT IT’S NO DIFFERENT AT ACADEMY LEVEL. YOU CAME ON AS A SUB AND SCORED WITH YOUR FIRST TOUCH, ALSO BAGGING AN ASSIST TO EARN A 4-2 VICTORY. WHAT’S THE FEELING LIKE BEFORE A DERBY AND AFTER IT HAVING EARNED A VICTORY?
L: OF COURSE THERE ARE GAMES THAT MEAN A LOT AND, AS A WEST HAM FAN, SCORING AND BEATING TOTTENHAM IS ALWAYS GREAT. BUT I’VE ALWAYS BEEN PLAYING THE TOP TEAMS SO I TRY TO TREAT EVERY GAME AS ‘JUST ANOTHER GAME’. I JUST TRY TO PLAY MY ROLE AND NOT THE OCCASION. WHEN YOU’RE YOUNGER YOU RIDE YOUR EMOTIONS A LITTLE BUT UNDER GOOD COACHES YOU LEARN TO PUT THEM ASIDE AND GET THE JOB DONE!
Q: WILDLIFE AND GRASSROOTS FOOTBALL BOTH NEED GREEN SPACES TO THRIVE - DO YOU SEE NATURE WALKS LIKE THIS AS BEING PART OF YOUR TRAINING REGIME?
M: NAH, I NEED TO INTERRUPT BECAUSE THATS A CARRION CROW!
HH: YEAH IT IS, MATE! THATS TWO POINTS AND LIAM’S FACE IS PRICELESS AS HE LOSES THE LEAD! WITH THAT, LIAM, BACK TO THE QUESTION…
L: I THINK THERE ISN’T MUCH SCOPE FOR IT ATM WITH OUR TRAINING ROUTINE. IT’S ALL WORK ALL THE TIME BUT I HOPE THAT DOES CHANGE BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY RELAXING THING TO DO
M: AT WEST HAM I DIDNT GET TO SEE TOO MUCH WILDLIFE BUT OUT IN BIRMINGHAM WE TRAIN IN THE SUBURBS AND AFTER TODAY IM DEFO GONNA GO BACK TO BIRMINGHAM AND IDENTIFY SOME BIRDS BC IM CLOCKING THE NAMES AND FEEL VERY CHILLED I CANT LIE
Q: IF YOU BOYS CAN TAKE ONE THING FROM TODAY’S EXPERIENCE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
M: THAT CALMNESS, YOU KNOW. TAKE EVERY SITUATION CALM. AND LET THE REST BE WHAT IT’S GONNA BE.
L: SIMILAR ANSWER. BUT FINDING SOMETHING NEW HAS BEEN GREAT AND I WANT TO DO IT MORE REGULARLY... ALSO HOLD ON, SECOND BRANCH UP ON THE RIGHT LOOK WHAT IVE JUST SEEN!
HH: THAT’S THE GREEN WOODPECKER! RIGHT AT THE END LIAM CLUTCHES THE WIN!
L: YEAH A LUCKY WIN REALLY BUT WE’LL TAKE IT!
M: NAH FAIR PLAY, GOOD GAME!