Town defender Tom on faith and football
“THERE’S NO football without faith now, and there’s no faith without football.”
For Town defender Tom Bradbury, faith has had a transformative effect on his life and his career.
The 22-year-old says his Christianity has played a crucial part in his time in football so far, providing the driving force to try and make the most of his ability.
“It’s huge,” said Bradbury when asked how much of a role his faith plays in his life. “I’d go to the extent to say that, obviously football is extremely important, but faith is just as important, if not bigger to me in my life.
“The way I would describe it would be it gives me peace, and it takes the pressure off me in terms of football.
“I don’t just have my faith for that, but I believe that God has a plan for my life, he’s chosen me for a reason and he’s given me this talent for football to express myself.
“The plan is to get as high as I can and then spread the word, because I’m forever grateful to him. I used to get really nervous before games, and stress and worry, but it’s not about that anymore, it’s playing to enjoy myself, believing you’re good enough and knowing that God’s got big things for you. When the timing’s right, I’ll achieve those things.”
Bradbury sees any success he has had or will have in football as being indistinguishable between being because of him and because of God.
“There’s no football without faith now, and there’s no faith without football,” he said. “Football’s my platform to express my faith, and live through my faith. Even little things like when you want to watch a film and not stretch and prepare for the next game, God tells me to get my stretching done because I’ve got another game.
“It makes me a better person, I try not to sin.
“They’re both
They come as a pair.”
Bradbury says his faith helps him deal with the ups and downs of a career in football.
“I had a few tough times last year at Yeovil,” he said, “but my instant reaction now is always ‘go to God’ and he has the answers for me. He’s almost my rock that some people don’t have.
“I’ve praised him when I’m happy and I still praise him when I’m down.
“I’ve always been strong mentally. If you do make a mistake, you can’t let it affect you.
“You’ve got to be far bigger
entwined. and mentally stronger than that because you’ve got 89 more minutes to rectify it and nod one in at the other end.
“It’s more that I’m almost not worried now about my career. Every kid thinks ‘will I make it, will I not?’, obviously I’ve still got a long way to go, but he tells me he’s got a plan for my life and I can’t wait to live it out.
“It lights up my life and makes me smile. It benefits my football. It’s not like I put faith before football and I don’t care about losing on a Saturday.
“My mindset going into games, I’m so much more confident, I’m nowhere near as nervous as I was. And when you’re confident, you play better.
“I don’t pray and ask for a good performance because he can’t give you that. Once your faith develops, it’s more thanking him for the opportunity to play, thanking him for the talent he’s given me.
“I do pray he keeps me injuryfree. When I score, I’m doing it for him now because my mindset says, if I play well, if I score, if I move up the leagues, if I create a name for myself, then I can go into the Ministry and talk about him and change people’s lives.
“That’s the plan he’s set out for me and that’s my thought process.”
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