Greetings!
Liverpool Football Club is the only football club I have ever supported. I eat, sleep, breathe, dream, and live all things LFC. You'll Never Walk Alone is more than just a slogan; it is a vow. You are always there for your family, no matter what; there are no exceptions. The ethos of the city of Liverpool and its culture.
There are many channels out there, many of which are frankly Fan-atical. I hope to bring something a bit different and share a little bit of my life, heart, and passion for the beloved game with you.
Like so many, I grew up overseas, in a very humble situation where football was a dream. I remember getting my very first boots, the proudest lad in the world, playing on dirt surfaces as grass pitches were scares. The 70s and 80s flew by... I moved back to the USA for college and was introduced to this thing they called soccer. It looked like football to me...
Brief history: I nearly died as a baby, just a few weeks old. My folks were philanthropists and helped people across the planet; unfortunately, I was exposed to a life-threatening biological... fast forward to the mid-80s, and what people saw on the outside was this skinny kid who was plagued by poor health for a good chunk of his life... I was treated like an alien in my country of birth, mocked and taunted by even so-called family and friends for my perceived physical ineptitude.
All you have to do is tell me that it can't be done, and I'll prove you wrong. I was always the first to train and the last to leave. I trained harder than anyone; I had to to even get a sniff. This materialized into a decent multisport collegiate athletic career...
I was a bit of a late bloomer; my body was catching up to me. I went from this skinny teenager to a 225-pound-ripped athlete in my early to mid-20s. I finally got to live that dream, competing with talent from across the globe, from European physicality to South American flair. Sheer pace to being able to samba with the ball. Flicks, tricks, unbridled joy, and freedom to finally be able to express myself on the pitch with fellow athletes who got me and me them. We instinctively knew where the half spaces were and moved as a single symbiotic creature. Left foot, right foot, me head, it didn't matter; as an ambidextrous athlete, all I wanted to do was bang in goals for fun. I went from playing across the front to being a box-to-box, very attack-minded midfielder to a ferocious defender. I liked me a good crunching tackle. Nothing is better than winning a good tackle, ghosting past the "enemy," playing beautiful one-touch ball, slide ruling in that killer pass, or even better, bending it in, top bins, and watching that net bulge. I even filled in as a goalie (hated it, LOL) but would do anything for the team. I absolutely loved the game. I never took a single moment for granted, and I still don't.
The 90s rolled in, and I was finally getting fed more than just scraps of my beloved LFC... It didn't matter to me what the perceived struggles of the club were at the time. We had a few great managers; I closely observed any scraps I could pick up, training sessions, gametime, anything.
And then it actually happened. I was able to visit family in the West Midlands. A cousin of mine, an Albion fan, drove me all the way to Liverpool. Good mate! Stanley Park, no offense, Evertonians, but Goodison was never on the radar. I only had eyes for the Shankly Gates, looking up at the "This is Anfield" sign, fully kitted up, with a Liverpool FC shirt, shorts, and socks with my surname proudly displayed on my back. My cousin explained to the club representatives my lifelong journey to that point, and they accommodated me. I will never forget. They let me do everything but get on the pitch LOL. It was a surreal moment when I "touched" the sign, walked through the tunnel, and approached the pitch.
Well into my sixth decade of life, 12 orthopedic surgeries later, the fire still burns white hot. As an individual who was made for Liverpool, the Scouse ethos runs in my veins. I get it! It is not a mere cliche when you have faced untold struggles across a lifetime but still stuck together and stood strong through it all. Family Strong!
I love this club! My club! The only club I have ever supported and will ever support. What I hope to share with you is the perspective of a well-traveled life, bringing a unique perspective from the experiences of both an athlete and a mentor of the beloved game. Along with a few life experiences and hopefully encouragement to make it through those dark times. We've all been there; you will never have to go through them alone.
Much love and respect!
Rod #ynwa
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