LEVEL-HEADED JACK AN EXAMPLE TO ALL

WHEN I walked into the door at Peterborough, I inherited Jack Collison.Now Jack is only 27 years old. With 105 appearances for West Ham and with 17 Welsh caps under his belt, Jack ought not to be in League 1. However, an horrific knee injury restricted his athletic abilities, such that he has had to drop a couple of levels to compete.

On the one hand, that could be a tragic story. But trust me, Jack is not a man who would ever play his part in a tragedy.

He has opened his own soccer school, where kids can learn his philosophies on football, and begun down the coaching road by managing our U21s. I watched them beat a strong MK Dons team 61 in midweek and the football and motivation on display was wonderful. Simultaneously, Jack remains an integral part of our squad. In two recent wins against Millwall and Swindon, I sent him on to keep the ball, add some control and bring the game home. He did both jobs in the way that an experienced international player can.

Jack doesn’t talk about his past. It speaks for itself. He lives for today and tomorrow. He doesn’t dwell on his misfortune. He embraces the reality of the present. He is an example to all and he deserves recognition for being a very fine man. Parents will look to his soccer schools with serious interest, because football develops the human being not just the sports person. And Jack will teach children some very important life skills. That is for sure.