Football's Michelin Star Man

How great would it be to be a footballer. At one stage of our lives, a lot of us grew up wanting to be footballers, but not all of us will even come close to making it. This leads us down different paths, following different ambitions. For those lucky enough to have that professional potential, even then the risk of little longevity is very high. When researching for this article, it was incredible to see how your life can all change even in the small matter of a training session. Gordan Ramsay is an excellent example of how it may not always work out but you should never give up on your route to success.

Born in Scotland but raised in Britain, Gordon's early passion was to become a football player. He was very close with his mother and resented by his alcoholic father. Like a lot of us, Ramsay had the dream to play for his boyhood football club Glasgow Rangers. During his childhood, his family moved down to Stratford-Upon-Avon, where Gordon would play for Oxford United youth team. Turning the age of 15, Ramsay was scouted by Glasgow Rangers, playing 3 years up until injuries costed him his hopes and dreams of making it as an athlete.

Following this, he scrambled to find a future for himself. Gordon could not afford to go to further education, so he subsequently found himself at the career office where he was enrolled into a hotel working in catering. In his own words, he worked like a 'donkey', driven by determination following the disappointment of his footballing dreams. He moved to London, working under several Michelin star chefs, more notably Marco Pierre White at the?restaurant Harvey’s and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.

His transition into the kitchen happened by accident but it was his determination and previous failure that would push him to become the best of the best. When it was time to look back at his previous passion, Gordan said on his YouTube channel, "Had I not had the upset I had here with football at Ibrox, I don't think I would be the chef I am today".

An example of not only the small sense of longevity of the footballing career, but also how you should take every opportunity you get as you may not know what tomorrow might bring. We seem to link it back to football a lot as it is something easily comparable to. But the reality is this is something found in all sorts of celebrities, public figures and influencers. Ramsay's determination following his upset is a key factor to what drove him to becoming a multi-Michelin star restaurant owner that he is today.

What will happen if you need to retire? What have you got to fall back on?

Ben.

Lawton Benjamin Consultants