Dinners that took as long as a game told Sean something was holding his career back
Sean Goss believes his career is on the way up after conquering a medical condition that led to him having difficulty eating.
It’s vitally important for a top footballer to be able to refuel, but the Motherwell midfielder was unable to do that properly because he was suffering from eosinophilic oesophagitis.
The problem, which made swallowing difficult, hadn’t held him back from becoming a professional, and being signed by Manchester United, QPR and Shrewsbury Town.
He also had loan spells with Rangers and St Johnstone, returning to Scotland last summer to join The Steelmen, and having a procedure that opened up his throat.
That, along with medication, has made a massive difference to his life, and he’s feeling stronger all the time.
Goss said: “I think the condition held me back. It’s only the more I look back that I realise how much it affected me.
“I had weight loss, I was feeling tired all the time, and that was making me get injured.
“I was missing out on meals. I had to have meal replacements, swapping them for protein shakes.
“But I can feel a difference now. I’m slowly putting weight back on after having the operation. Every day I can feel a change in my body, and I’ve got more life about me.
“After training, I’m not shattered when I get home, and I don’t need to have a four-hour nap. Hopefully, I can kick on from here.”
The 26-year-old recalls how his issue was detrimental to his physical and mental health.
He went on: “I literally couldn’t swallow my food. It had massive side effects.
“At a team meal, I’d be thinking: ‘I hope I don’t choke here’. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone.
“It was really tough, and it’s hard to explain unless you’ve had it. The fear of choking after you’ve been in hospital with it is quite scary.
“My mum would tell me to go home on a Sunday for a roast dinner. But I’d still be sitting there an hour-and-a-half later and it was stone cold. By that time, you’re not interested in food. “Now, I can’t stop eating!
“It’s great to eat for pleasure. When I had the op and went home, my family were saying it was like I’d never eaten before.
“I was shovelling everything in front of me. Eating is a part of your social life, so it’s good to enjoy that again.
“I’ve been speaking to the charity who support people with the condition, and it’s why I talk about it. There are a lot of people who have it, but don’t know.
“I’ve had messages from people asking to know more about it because they’ve got similar symptoms.
“If I can help one person with it, it’ll be a bonus because I wouldn’t want anyone feeling the way I was.
“It felt like a big weight off my shoulders. When you don’t have an answer, it can be tough.
“I’m in remission now, and it’s about trying to keep on top of it. Since the
operation, I still have one tablet a day.”
Goss hopes he will now suffer less of the niggling injuries that regularly kept him on the sidelines.
He has played 22 times for Motherwell this season, and is looking forward to lining up against Rangers at Ibrox today.
Northern Ireland were interested in calling him up during his loan spell with the Light Blues in 2018, and he hopes they will rekindle their interest now that he’s a regular starter.
“The main thing about coming here was to play every week, and get a good run of games,” he said.
“This is definitely the best I have felt, and the longest run of games I’ve had. It is now about building on that.”
■ For more information on Sean’s condition, see eosnetwork.org