This episode is a powerful and honest conversation with Ben Coker, a footballer whose 18-year career was built not on hype or natural advantages, but on resilience, mindset, and persistence. As the only professional player at the time competing in the EFL while managing type 1 diabetes, Ben’s story offers a rare and refreshing perspective on what it truly takes to survive in professional football.

Rather than focusing solely on achievements, the episode digs into the realities of the game: academy releases, non-league wages, working manual jobs to get by, and the mental strain of repeated setbacks. Ben speaks candidly about nearly being written off early, moving to Sweden at 18 to keep his dream alive, and slowly earning his way back into the professional leagues through hard work and consistency.

A major strength of the episode is Ben’s openness around adversity. From managing diabetes daily to suffering a career-threatening ACL injury at the worst possible moment, he explains how discipline, routine, humor, and perspective helped him navigate the darkest periods of his career. His ability to separate football from his identity, lean on family support, and maintain joy in the game stands out as a defining trait.

Beyond football, the episode explores life, relationships, and purpose. Ben reflects on the importance of his wife and family, the value of planning for life after football, and why having balance off the pitch can actually extend a playing career.

Overall, this episode is not a fairytale success story—it’s a real one. It’s about longevity, mental toughness, and showing up every day despite uncertainty. Whether you’re a footballer, athlete, or someone facing long-term challenges, Ben Koker’s story is deeply relatable, grounding, and genuinely inspiring.

What happens when the dream you’ve chased your entire life suddenly disappears?

In this episode, we sit down for an unfiltered conversation with Jacob Blyth about football, identity, and the hidden cost of chasing success. From playing men’s non-league football at 15, earning a move to Leicester City, and training alongside Premier League winners - to injury, isolation, public scrutiny, and the darkest period of his life.

This is not a story about fame or money. It’s about pressure, mental health, mistakes, and the reality that footballers - like all of us - are human beings, not robots. We talk openly about failure, alcohol, relationships, and what it really takes to rebuild when everything falls apart.

A powerful, honest episode about losing purpose - and finding something more important on the other side.

In this episode, we sit down with Adebayo “Bayo” Akinfenwa, one of English football’s most iconic and respected figures. Across a 20-year professional career, Bayo scored over 230 goals, earned promotions with clubs including Wycombe Wanderers, AFC Wimbledon, and Northampton Town, won silverware with Swansea City, and was recently awarded the Tom Finney Award for his contribution to the EFL and the game as a whole.

But this conversation goes far beyond football. Bayo opens up about authenticity, identity, resilience, and self-belief—from facing racism early in his career, to embracing being different in a sport that often demands conformity. He speaks powerfully about dressing-room dynamics, leadership, managing energy, and why football was always something he did, not who he was.

We explore his transition out of the game, lessons on handling criticism and social media, the importance of self-care and rest, and his philosophy on legacy—being remembered not for achievements, but for how you made people feel. Honest, grounded, and deeply human, this episode is about owning who you are, backing it with work, and living on your terms.

A must-listen for athletes, leaders, and anyone navigating identity, purpose, and life beyond labels.

#lifeafterfootball #akinfenwa #growthmindset