Kieran Devlin - Blog/Life Story Continued...
Show time...
It was time. I had finally woken up. I had finally began my journey of complete restoration and self improvement. All in perfect timing for the new season coming up with Holt United. I was ready to prove it to myself and to take back control of what is rightfully mine!
So, with our new season about to begin, the team got together for our pre-season frinely matches. our first one against Stalham FC and To make my mark and to prove to myself that i was here to win, I put on a qaulity performance in which i got myself a hat-trick in a 3-0 win! Good start!
From this point onwards our team was clearly going to be one of the better teams in the league, we had a strong group that was determined and already with a growing confidence from the start. This confidence was always increasing as we were winning games and staying in the top of the pile throughout the majority of the season.
However, it was a tough campaign and poor performances led us to making it incredibly difficult for ourselves to be well ahead of the pack.
And then... it all went wrong.
20 games into the season and we were in the top 3. Whilst in decent form, the league was looking very promising in our favour. But the one game that decided the rest of that season was the one that i would play for my last time at Holt United.
We were 2-0 up and i had already got on the scoresheet within the first 5 minutes of the game. I was feeling the most confident i had felt whilst playing in a very long time and in my mind i was pushing for a hat-trick. one of the plays led me to putting an immense amount of pressure on the oppositions goalkeeper and as i lept up to head the ball, i had a very awkward landing on my ankle on the way back down. A nasty crunch upon impact with the ground and then a lot of pain, numbness and instant swelling. that ankle sprain completed my season much earlier than i had hoped and i was furious.
Anyway, with that my season was done and after this game the team struggled. Losing the majority of their final games of the season and watching as their hopes for even the top 3 had slipped away. It could have been another great achievement in my career, however, the universe had other plans for me...
Because i beleive that ankle sprain played a huge role and significance to what would happen next in my life...
A New Possibility...
When i look back on things and the way this all played out, It almost seems supernatural on how perfect the timing of it all was. As much as the ankle sprain hurt and was a setback. It was actually essential that it happened. because, if i didnt sprain my ankle on that day, i would have most likely stayed with Holt, finished the season and stayed where i was. But the universe had a greater plan for me, a new opportnunity was just on the horizon and if i did not get away from the routine that i was in, then i would have missed it.
So. i was away from football, gym and my every day routine. stuck in bed and keeping myself busy with minecraft and fortnite. Honestly, i was completely bored out of my mind. I hated it. All i wanted to do was to get back to playing football. But, as i sat there in my bed with an ice pack around my ankle, i started to think to myself, 'Am i actually where i want to be right now? and am i actually living my life to the fullest that it could be?' The answer was no.
Luckily, however, I did already have another option.
My father had decided a while back to make his dream come true and move to Spain. He had been there for a little while now and before this I would only be able to visit him for short periods of time. However, as life seemed to be in a cycle of living the same week over and over again, i got into contact with my father and immediately we began to arrange the move. I was fully prepared to leave my old life behind as i knew that there was a whole new world of potential and possibilities waiting for me in Spain. Exciting times were ahead, a new life was waiting for me and i had the chance to really go after my dream with a completely clean slate.
But one thing that life has taught me and that life continues to teach me is that no matter what and no matter where you are, you cannot skip the struggle...
Chapter Spain Begins...
On the 17th of March 2024 (ST.Patricks Day) I had touched down in Spain. What a relief. As much as i was tired from all the travelling, i had a new and fresh energy immediately when i arrived. It was an amazing feeling. And, as i settled into my new home, there was only one thought that was racing through my mind: what football team am i going to play for next?
So, to begin with, as i did not have a team to play with, i remained disciplined and focused and stuck to my training routine. Even though now it was 10 times as hard due to the heat of the sun, but i was not complaining, this only meant that i was going to get even better.
Luckily for me however, the place that i had moved to was full of english people and i managed to get involved with a group of lads that played football on a weekly basis, not a proper team, but it was a start. This did hold major significance however, as one of the lads in the group was part of one of the local teams called CD VERA and after talks and negotations, the team decided that they wanted to see what i was made of and invited me to train with them.
Just like when i first joined Holt United, this was at the end of their season and so i only got to train with them for a few weeks before the season ended and everyone broke up for summer. After impressing the players and coaches in my few weeks of training, it was setlled that for the new season after summer, i would be ivited back for pre season training and to be signed into the team. I was beyond happy and excited. I couldnt wait to be playing games again and i had a strong beleief that this is where i would shine. Things were looking good!
HOWEVER...
The Battle Begins...
Sometimes in life things don't go the way you had planned. Especially in this small chapter.
Pre-season had begun for CD VERA and the team was entirely diffeerent than before. I knew i had to work really hard so that i could impress again but the one thing that was hindering my ability to mix with the team was the fact that my spanish was not very good. communication was very difficult and this made it hard to play well with the team. This led to some misundertsandings about me and left me feeling isolated and like an outsider. I tried my hardest to carry on despite feeling the adversity that i was getting from the rest of the players but eventually this led me to make the decision that enough was enough. and so i quit.
At this point, i had just taken a big leap in my life. I had decided that it was time for me to move out of my Father's home and begin my own journey, So i moved out and into a rented apartment in the next town along called Garrucha. I had no idea what to expect but I believed in myself and knew that i was more than capable of looking after myself.
However, life was soon to teach me some very valuable lessons...
Project Devlin...
I had just began my new life in Garrucha. I was settled, with a stable job and continued to follow along my training, gym and diet plan. Things were off to a promising start.
There was one major thing that was missing though. I didnt have a team. It was a frustarting blow to take after i had been working so hard for so long, but i was not going to allow this to stop me from pushing on. I felt like i needed something new, however. I had been stuck in the same cycle of eating, training and living the same week over and over again for a very long time now and after still not finding myself within a team to play for, it put me off a lot.
Now, i had always enjoyed being creative. Especially in front of a camera. making short films, movies, stories on screen, I loved it. So, to switch things up a bit and to push myself to carry on with my training and aligned routine, i decided that i wanted to create my own youtube series documenting my life as an aspiring professional football player. This was just a fun idea at first and just an idea that would help me to get out of the same patterns that i had been living for such a long time, but i never knew how much personal growth and development that i would achieve by doing this. I had completely launched myself out of my comfort zone and it felt amazing. My confidence increased massively and actually being able to see the progress that i was making throughout the whole process was extremely motivating. Most importantly though, it kept me going.
Every single day i was pushing myself harder and becoming an even better version of myself than i was the day before. I began to attract people into my life that were inspired by what i was doing. But, then again, I also began to attract a lot of hate, jealousy and envy as well
Unfortunatley, all in the most important places...
Breaking Foundations...
I was in the middle of my new and imporved routine. Training hard, eating right, creating youtube videos and working hard at my day job.
It was very obvious that i was constantly bettering myself. I was stronger, fitter, healthier and happier. But, like ive said, this attracted negativity. In a very important place as well.
It was slow to begin with, but i was beginning to notice that there was a much different vibe towards me when i would show up for work. All of a sudden, I was getting treated differently. Disrespectfully. There was a growing anger towards me from my boss. He made it, almost too obvious. I had to prepare for the worst because i was now in a very toxic environment and i knew that it was only a matter of time before he would remove me from my role at the workplace. I was right. One day, out of the blue, he came up to me and said, "I'm cancelling your contract!" Now, i didn't argue with this because i could see this coming from a mile away and at this point i was hating how toxic the environment was around me, but there was genuinely no reason at all for why he fired me. This was reinforced when he decided to give me 50 Euros out of his pocket after i had just signed my contract of termination.
Anyway, i was now unemployed and only slightly scared on what was the best move to make next. I had been completely put off working for somoene else because i had this same fear that i would only experience the same thing once again.
The only answer i had at the time was to go home, get my football and head to the pitch...
What to do next...
This was a very pivotal moment. Losing my job was very tough because there was not going to be many other places that hire an English guy who cannot speak much spanish. si, intead of looking for a new job straight away, i decided to hold back for a little bit and to see what other solutions i could come up with.