Reuben's story

Reuben

Football’s my heart, I’ve always loved football.

In 2001, when I was thirteen, I got run over by a car that left me with ABI, meaning acquired brain injury so I couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk and, from that day I was determined to get back to where I am now and I fight every single day. I just continued going by myself, to be independent.

Well, I found Parasport eight months ago and at the beginning I went to the website and I got numbers and I phoned up and they said I’d got to do this and that, and I just take advice and I do it. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.

I do give thanks to Parasport for getting me this far as well, because, without them, I wouldn’t be here.

I found a London CP squad (cerebral palsy football team) and that’s how I continued playing, to try to get onto the Great Britain Paralympic squad in 2012.

Steve – Reuben’s trainer

This is London Soccerdome. This is a lot of the players that have either had or have currently got England experience, so, with the England seniors or with the England development squad which has got quite an under twenty-one focus, or some of those players have been involved in that set up. This provides them a regular playing and training opportunity at hopefully one of the highest levels in the country for cerebral palsy football.

Reuben has done really well, he’s got a cracking attitude, he’s really, really enthusiastic about it. I think that was Reuben’s email or text or phone call to me, “I want to play in 2012”.

Reuben

Yeah, I’d love to be there, it’s my dream. That’s everyone’s dream.

Steve

Reuben’s been, a real kind of breath of fresh air and has, kind of, I suppose, been the find that, if we hadn’t have had this squad, probably would never have been found and probably (would never) have had the opportunity to compete in this, so, some of these (players) we already knew about before, Reuben has been a product of this opportunity really and it’s maybe given him a realistic chance for the England seniors. We try to give them as many of the same opportunities that exist for any other footballer.

Reuben

That would mean the world. That would mean the world, I would so love it. I wouldn’t miss a training session, I wouldn’t miss a match. It would just mean the world. I’d just love it, it would just mean the world. I would cry out every day, ‘Yes, I made it to the team!”

When I train, that’s what I think about, being the best on the field all the time. Just continue to be the best that you can and just don’t give up, because I never gave up and look at me now, I’m going all the way.