Marvin Sordell is a reputation most soccer followers will recognise,
He starred as a teenager for Watford, appeared for Bolton and Burnley within the Premier League, and featured in Stuart Pearce’s Workforce GB squad on the London 2012 Olympics.
However, after a 10-year profession, Sordell retired from the skilled sport aged 28 again in 2019, citing the influence on his psychological well being. The strain of the skilled soccer trade was not well worth the toll it was having on him.
As a substitute of stepping away from soccer fully, Sordell runs a video manufacturing firm targeted on combining leisure, artwork and sport, and a advertising and marketing company which helps manufacturers join with the worlds of sport, music and leisure.
Already working within the intersection between sport and leisure, the 34-year-old did not hesitate to affix Baller League when the chance arose – and now performs for Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards’ Deportrio FC facet.
“Soccer has been one thing I’ve beloved since I used to be a child,” says Sordell. “I used to be keen to carry on to that love that I’ve for the sport and I knew that wasn’t going to remain from being an expert. It simply wasn’t working, it simply wasn’t proper.
“I used to be probably performing some work with them (Baller League) by my advertising and marketing company. We had fairly a number of conversations earlier than it was even introduced after which in one of many conferences they requested if I might be curious about taking part in.”
With none trepidation, he jumped on the probability to have enjoyable on a soccer pitch once more.
Sordell had already been taking part in at totally different ranges and in several codecs of the sport since he retired from skilled soccer in 2019. From five-a-side video games with mates to semi-pro matches with Kettering City, he was greater than able to roll again the years in Baller League.
Regardless of the cameras broadcasting the motion for Sky Sports activities, Sordell feels not one of the strain he did as a professional.
The large speaking factors after matches often encompass the antics of the celebrities slightly than the precise gameplay, permitting most of the gamers to get pleasure from their soccer below the radar.
Timelines are crammed with movies of ex-England defender Richards dancing, John Terry clashing with former referee Mark Clattenburg on the touchline or Troy Deeney receiving a purple card for an pointless foul.
“From my perspective, I get to go on Monday, play soccer and meet up with a great deal of folks I do know from the world of soccer,” provides Sordell. “I do not really feel like there’s the identical stage of strain or scrutiny as gamers within the skilled stage get as a result of persons are there to be entertained.
” Lots of people have reached out to me who’re curious about getting concerned. I am to see how the affiliation between folks watching and golf equipment develop when it comes to rising fanbases. It has the potential to be one thing fairly large.”
