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- Mar 3, 2010
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Big Credit to 'Dan'
Follow his story, it's amazing.
July 1st; 7:55pm
An unusually cold summer night in Birmingham, England. I am sitting outside Wolves youth academy manager, Mick Halsalls office. I am sitting next to a few of the other players for the academy, today is the day I turn 17 and I am allowed to play professionally for Wolves, if I get in. They are selecting only a few players to go into the first team or reserves and me being here since I was nine-years-old, I feel I have a great chance. Mick pokes his head round the door, "Ashley Museveni please." He smiles as he notices me and I gain confidence from his glance. I walk into his room, parking my **** on the leather seats. "So Ashley." He starts, "I have the decision to whether you're in or not." My heart begins to pump rapidly. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to let you go." My heart sinks. I want to curl up into a ball and die. "Sorry." I shake my head, "No need to be sorry. Thankyou for everything Mike, Coach." "No, thankyou for you're effort over the years, Good luck in the future don't stop playing. You'll get a break, you'll definately get a break." I smile happily but it is a fake smile. I nod to him, exiting the room. I shake my head at the players outside who grit they're fists. They all know I'm the best player there.
July 1st; 8:40pm
I hop in a taxi and head home." Blood rushes to my head, my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach, it's aching. Storming through my front door, my parents ask me the question, and I give that answer no son wants to give there parents. "I wasn't good enough." They sigh, walking over to me and hugging me. "Don't be too sad son" my dad smiles. 'Is he taking the ****?' I think to myself. He passes me the phone and plays the answer machine. "Hello, I'm Chris Hutchings assistant, Martin O'Connor here at Walsall, I was wondering if you'd give me a call as soon as you get this, I have a mouth watering offer for you. 077432781440. Thanks, Bye." My sadness turns to joy as I hug both of my parents and punch the air with happiness. I decide I'd ring him the next morning, first thing.
July 2nd; 9:30am
I run downstairs as I get up, pulling on a shirt and tracksuit bottoms. I walk straight to the phone, dialling the number he had given me. I ring the number, after a few rings someone picks up. "Hello." "Hi Martin, It's Ashley, you left me a voicemail yesterday?" "Ahh, yes. Hello Ashley, I would like you to come down to the Bescott today, I want you to meet our back-staff and chariman and mainly Mr. Hutchings. Come around 2 O'clock if you can? Be ready for action." "Oh my, of course I will, Thankyou very much." "No worries, I'll see you at two then, Bye." "Bye, oh wait will I need kit, shinpads, boots that sort of stuff." "No don't worry about that, it's sorted, see you later." With that I hung up, this could be the day that changed my life. I got ready straight away.
July 2nd; 1:55pm
I pull up alongside the stadium, my dad wishes me good luck as I get out of the car, as I gaze in awe at the stage, one day I might be playing on. I walk into the main reception and approach the counter however Martin sneaks up behind me tapping me on the shoulder, offering me a handshake. "You must be Ashley" he grins at me. I return his smile, "I'm guessing this is Martin?" "Yes, come with me." I shake his hand and we begin to walk. He takes me into the changing room where the whole of the Walsall squad are sitting looking at me with Chris Hutchings. My heart drops and I shake Chris' hand. "Hello Ashley, I've heard so much about you. I'd like to introduce you to the team." Chris takes me down the line introducing me to all the players, but first he introduces me to club captain --. Star Striker Darren Byfield throws some new Nike Mecurials at me and a Walsall training, "Suit up big-guy it's training" before winking at me. I smile ear to ear and quickly shove on the kit.
July 2nd; 2:30pm
The training session start with a warm-up but after that we stretch out and get into two teams. We begin the match for 25 minutes each way, I play in my favourite position wide left. Dwayne Mattis supplies it too me on the left wing, as I zig in and out concluding the snazzy move with an amazing zig-zag type flip-flap to beat best right-back Rhys Weston, and stand it up to the back post where Darren Byfield powers it in with an amazing header. 1 - 0. "Well played ZigZag" laughs Darren Byfield as we high five.
20 Minutes Gone
Dwayne Mattis has it yet again but this time slides me in, one on one with the keeper, I try a cheeky chip that hits the top of the bar and bounces out. I am frustrated but Mattis applauds me.
Half Time
Our team huddle together having a bit of a laugh but we are ready for the second half of this training game. I am congratulated but am told not to get complacement, my future at the club depends on it.
Kick-Off
We take kick off as I'm given the ball, I check back onto my stronger right foot and hit a 30-yard-ball to the other side for Steve Jones, who side-steps challenges left right and centre, mesmorising the defence before cooly slotting it into the bottom corner. He congratulates me as I get a sudden buzz. I high-five Darren Byfield again, who seems to be really impressed with me.
15 Minutes In
Julian Gray skins our right back and gives a through ball to goalscorer Troy Deeney, who gets in but blazes it miles over the bar. All the players give him stick and even the coaching staff have a laugh with him as he puts his face into his hands.
Full-Time 2-0.
It finishes 2-0 to us and straight after I've shook hands with the boys, Chris Hutchings leads me off, whisking me into his office. He offers me a seat and cuts straight to the chase. "We heard about you from a former player, and friend of the club Mike Halsall. He say's that you're a future talent and he didn't think you'd get a chance in the starting line-up in the Wolves team. That is why he dropped you but he knew you'd be a huge hit. So we snapped you up and I know you'd be over-the-moon with a youth contract for us, correct?" My words don't come out so instead I nod my head. He looks at me with a puzzling face, "But we're not going to give you one.." My heart sinks, rejected again. "We're signing you professional, you were sensational out there, gave Julian Gray a run for his money. How does £2,000 a week sound Ashley" I stand there in absolute amazement and after a few seconds I manage to stutter, "...uhh, yeah, that would be great." "Fantastic, just sign here. We've already got permission from you're agent." "What, I have an agent now." "Ha, yeah I think you're father took it upon himself to become you're agent." My dad comes in through the door with a huge smile on his face, with a expensive suit on. I grin signing the lucrative contract. I shake Chris' hand and exit. "I'll be in touch." I manage to here walking out of the room.
Follow his story, it's amazing.
July 1st; 7:55pm
An unusually cold summer night in Birmingham, England. I am sitting outside Wolves youth academy manager, Mick Halsalls office. I am sitting next to a few of the other players for the academy, today is the day I turn 17 and I am allowed to play professionally for Wolves, if I get in. They are selecting only a few players to go into the first team or reserves and me being here since I was nine-years-old, I feel I have a great chance. Mick pokes his head round the door, "Ashley Museveni please." He smiles as he notices me and I gain confidence from his glance. I walk into his room, parking my **** on the leather seats. "So Ashley." He starts, "I have the decision to whether you're in or not." My heart begins to pump rapidly. "Unfortunately, we're going to have to let you go." My heart sinks. I want to curl up into a ball and die. "Sorry." I shake my head, "No need to be sorry. Thankyou for everything Mike, Coach." "No, thankyou for you're effort over the years, Good luck in the future don't stop playing. You'll get a break, you'll definately get a break." I smile happily but it is a fake smile. I nod to him, exiting the room. I shake my head at the players outside who grit they're fists. They all know I'm the best player there.
July 1st; 8:40pm
I hop in a taxi and head home." Blood rushes to my head, my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach, it's aching. Storming through my front door, my parents ask me the question, and I give that answer no son wants to give there parents. "I wasn't good enough." They sigh, walking over to me and hugging me. "Don't be too sad son" my dad smiles. 'Is he taking the ****?' I think to myself. He passes me the phone and plays the answer machine. "Hello, I'm Chris Hutchings assistant, Martin O'Connor here at Walsall, I was wondering if you'd give me a call as soon as you get this, I have a mouth watering offer for you. 077432781440. Thanks, Bye." My sadness turns to joy as I hug both of my parents and punch the air with happiness. I decide I'd ring him the next morning, first thing.
July 2nd; 9:30am
I run downstairs as I get up, pulling on a shirt and tracksuit bottoms. I walk straight to the phone, dialling the number he had given me. I ring the number, after a few rings someone picks up. "Hello." "Hi Martin, It's Ashley, you left me a voicemail yesterday?" "Ahh, yes. Hello Ashley, I would like you to come down to the Bescott today, I want you to meet our back-staff and chariman and mainly Mr. Hutchings. Come around 2 O'clock if you can? Be ready for action." "Oh my, of course I will, Thankyou very much." "No worries, I'll see you at two then, Bye." "Bye, oh wait will I need kit, shinpads, boots that sort of stuff." "No don't worry about that, it's sorted, see you later." With that I hung up, this could be the day that changed my life. I got ready straight away.
July 2nd; 1:55pm
I pull up alongside the stadium, my dad wishes me good luck as I get out of the car, as I gaze in awe at the stage, one day I might be playing on. I walk into the main reception and approach the counter however Martin sneaks up behind me tapping me on the shoulder, offering me a handshake. "You must be Ashley" he grins at me. I return his smile, "I'm guessing this is Martin?" "Yes, come with me." I shake his hand and we begin to walk. He takes me into the changing room where the whole of the Walsall squad are sitting looking at me with Chris Hutchings. My heart drops and I shake Chris' hand. "Hello Ashley, I've heard so much about you. I'd like to introduce you to the team." Chris takes me down the line introducing me to all the players, but first he introduces me to club captain --. Star Striker Darren Byfield throws some new Nike Mecurials at me and a Walsall training, "Suit up big-guy it's training" before winking at me. I smile ear to ear and quickly shove on the kit.
July 2nd; 2:30pm
The training session start with a warm-up but after that we stretch out and get into two teams. We begin the match for 25 minutes each way, I play in my favourite position wide left. Dwayne Mattis supplies it too me on the left wing, as I zig in and out concluding the snazzy move with an amazing zig-zag type flip-flap to beat best right-back Rhys Weston, and stand it up to the back post where Darren Byfield powers it in with an amazing header. 1 - 0. "Well played ZigZag" laughs Darren Byfield as we high five.
20 Minutes Gone
Dwayne Mattis has it yet again but this time slides me in, one on one with the keeper, I try a cheeky chip that hits the top of the bar and bounces out. I am frustrated but Mattis applauds me.
Half Time
Our team huddle together having a bit of a laugh but we are ready for the second half of this training game. I am congratulated but am told not to get complacement, my future at the club depends on it.
Kick-Off
We take kick off as I'm given the ball, I check back onto my stronger right foot and hit a 30-yard-ball to the other side for Steve Jones, who side-steps challenges left right and centre, mesmorising the defence before cooly slotting it into the bottom corner. He congratulates me as I get a sudden buzz. I high-five Darren Byfield again, who seems to be really impressed with me.
15 Minutes In
Julian Gray skins our right back and gives a through ball to goalscorer Troy Deeney, who gets in but blazes it miles over the bar. All the players give him stick and even the coaching staff have a laugh with him as he puts his face into his hands.
Full-Time 2-0.
It finishes 2-0 to us and straight after I've shook hands with the boys, Chris Hutchings leads me off, whisking me into his office. He offers me a seat and cuts straight to the chase. "We heard about you from a former player, and friend of the club Mike Halsall. He say's that you're a future talent and he didn't think you'd get a chance in the starting line-up in the Wolves team. That is why he dropped you but he knew you'd be a huge hit. So we snapped you up and I know you'd be over-the-moon with a youth contract for us, correct?" My words don't come out so instead I nod my head. He looks at me with a puzzling face, "But we're not going to give you one.." My heart sinks, rejected again. "We're signing you professional, you were sensational out there, gave Julian Gray a run for his money. How does £2,000 a week sound Ashley" I stand there in absolute amazement and after a few seconds I manage to stutter, "...uhh, yeah, that would be great." "Fantastic, just sign here. We've already got permission from you're agent." "What, I have an agent now." "Ha, yeah I think you're father took it upon himself to become you're agent." My dad comes in through the door with a huge smile on his face, with a expensive suit on. I grin signing the lucrative contract. I shake Chris' hand and exit. "I'll be in touch." I manage to here walking out of the room.
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