Stones defender keeps the faith
WEALDSTONE FC
FOR Wealdstone’s Eddie Oshodi there are bigger things in life than football, writes Jon Batham.
The Stones full-back isn’t slow to profess his love for the beautiful game, but he cannot subscribe to former Liverpool legend Bill Shankly’s famous maxim that ‘football’s not a matter of life and death, it is far more important than that’.
As a devout Muslim, fans’ favourite Oshodi missed several games earlier this season to fulfil a vow to undertake a once in a lifetime haj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, the religion’s most sacred place.
The Brent-born 24-year-old claims what he saw there gave him a different outlook on life.
“A year ago, I made an oath to embark on the journey and I know it came at a weird time footballing-wise, but in my life my God always comes first because it is my life, my religion,” said the Grosvenor Vale defender.
“What did I gain from it? Well once you go to a place with five million people and you see beggars all over the place, people who have lost limbs and little children out in 50 degrees of heat begging, it gives you a different perspective.
“You see people giving out of their own pockets, so even those who are the poorest don’t go hungry and thirsty because people are consistently giving.
“Once you get back you think about all the material things you have. I’m not saying it’s bad to want all these nice things, but you realise it is not the central thing.”
The former Watford youth contends his faith is sustaining him through what is a tough period for Gordon Bartlett’s men, with positive results thin on the ground and confidence far from its highest.
“My faith keeps me calmer on the pitch, for one thing, and I’m more balanced now,” added Oshodi. “[With] poor runs like this in the past, I could get down in the dumps and not be positive about things.
“But now my religion keeps me positive things will get better. You understand sometimes you have to go through a low before the high. Sometimes you do go through stages where you are not getting wins.”
Oshodi and co were due to be in FA Trophy replay action last night (Tuesday) against Maidenhead after the full-back and Johnny Wright scored in Saturday’s 2-2 draw between the two sides at York Road. DEVOUT: