Football firsts
Ben Purrington – The Charlton Athletic defender talks us through his football memories
First game you watched live?
My uncle is Richard Hill, the former rugby player. So when I was growing up, all my early memories of live sport are going to watch him play for Saracens and England.
Football-wise, the earliest one I can remember was an England World Cup qualifier at
Old Trafford. It was organised by my local team, West Exe FC, and we all went up on a little minibus. I can’t remember the opposition but I think Steven Gerrard scored.
The other big memory is going to watch Exeter City - which is where
I’m from - against Morecambe in the Conference play-off final at Wembley in 2007. We lost, but went up the following year.
First football hero?
David Beckham. Growing up, I was a Manchester United fan because my grandad on my mum’s side supported them. These days, I don’t really support anyone, but I loved United at the time and Beckham was the main guy, wasn’t he? He always had the best boots, his style was a little bit different. And he could play a bit as well!
First football boots?
Nike Total 90s, in the silver and blue. I think it must have been about 2002. Wayne Rooney was one of the first players I remember wearing them. They were really thick, chunky leather - I had red ones, grey ones, loads over the years.
First kit?
A Man United shirt with Beckham on the back. It was either 2002 or 2003, the one that was sponsored by Vodafone.
First professional game?
For Plymouth, away at Oxford in 2013 in League Two. I was a second-year scholar and I’d been in and amongst the first team for about a year.
John Sheridan was the manager and he’d told me I was travelling with the team so I wondered if I might get a chance. Then, the night before, he pulled me in and said ‘Ring your mum and dad, tell them to come up, you’re starting tomorrow’.
It was Boxing Day, 10,000 people at the Kassam, fireworks going off for some reason. I was very nervous but we ended up winning and I had a really good game.
The only blip was when I cleaned out Ryan Williams - who I’ve played with since - and had to survive for half an hour on a yellow card.
First professional goal?
January 2014, in my third-ever game. It was Port Vale away, in the third round of the FA Cup. I underlapped, shot across goal and it sort of bobbled in the far corner to make it 2-2 and take us to a replay.
I didn’t score another one for over 100 games!
First red card?
For Charlton last year. Blackpool away. It was two yellows. The first one was quite a hard tackle, probably a yellow. The second one, I pulled someone back in my own third. It was pretty harsh.