SuperKevinNolan
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January 18th, 2012
I sat in the waiting room at the Polish FA Headquarters twiddling my thumbs, sick with nerves. There wasn't much reason for a person like me to be nervous though, not really. It's not like my life depended on this job, I was fairly comfortable remaining as a Sky Sports pundit, and I wasn't getting a major wage boost if I became the manager of the Polish national team. I think the sickness stems from the first job interview we ever have, our overactive brains piecing together possible scenarios and possible outcomes, possible futures. Because, after all, what career a person eventually embarks upon has a major impact on their future, and it is human nature to worry about the future.
But for me, my career had been over for 5 years now. I had signed for Southend United at the age of 16, way back in 1988, and while I was sitting in my parent's car travelling to my trial match, I felt much the same as I do now. I was quite a skilled midfielder in my time, and racked up many assists and game-changing tackles in my time at Southend, which eventually led to interest from bigger clubs. In 1992 I signed for my boyhood club West Ham United, where I had a few good years, and even managed to pick up a handful of England caps. Non footballing fans who heard about my game winning goal against Germany in the Euro '96 semi-finals assumed I was a German player who had scored an own goal, well, with a name like Josef Stankiewicz, I could see where the confusion came from.
I was born to a Polish mother and a German father in southern Essex, and I always wanted to feel in touch with my parent's cultures. Which is why I left West Ham in 1998 for Borussia Dortmund, and when I flopped there, moved to Wisla in 2000 to get my carer back on track. I loved living in Poland and always wanted to return, but luckily I managed to take a bit of Poalnd home with me when I married my lovely Polish wife in 2001, before returning back to England to see out the last few years of my career at Colchester United.
And now here I was, back in Poland looking at a brand new career opportunity. After taking my coaching badges I went on to manage Southend United, and the clubs two successive promotions did not go unnoticed by the higher ups at the Polish FA.
"Stankiewicz?" the receptionist said, as she peered over her thick rimmed glasses, undressing me with her eyes. The interview hadn't even begun yet and I already felt like I was being judged. My nerves got even worse when she ushered me towards a large glass-panelled door, as all the thoughts of what the future may hold came back to me. All of a sudden I was a teenager in the back of a Ford Cortina, driving through Southend, wondering if my dreams of becoming a footballer would ever come true.
I sat in the waiting room at the Polish FA Headquarters twiddling my thumbs, sick with nerves. There wasn't much reason for a person like me to be nervous though, not really. It's not like my life depended on this job, I was fairly comfortable remaining as a Sky Sports pundit, and I wasn't getting a major wage boost if I became the manager of the Polish national team. I think the sickness stems from the first job interview we ever have, our overactive brains piecing together possible scenarios and possible outcomes, possible futures. Because, after all, what career a person eventually embarks upon has a major impact on their future, and it is human nature to worry about the future.
But for me, my career had been over for 5 years now. I had signed for Southend United at the age of 16, way back in 1988, and while I was sitting in my parent's car travelling to my trial match, I felt much the same as I do now. I was quite a skilled midfielder in my time, and racked up many assists and game-changing tackles in my time at Southend, which eventually led to interest from bigger clubs. In 1992 I signed for my boyhood club West Ham United, where I had a few good years, and even managed to pick up a handful of England caps. Non footballing fans who heard about my game winning goal against Germany in the Euro '96 semi-finals assumed I was a German player who had scored an own goal, well, with a name like Josef Stankiewicz, I could see where the confusion came from.
I was born to a Polish mother and a German father in southern Essex, and I always wanted to feel in touch with my parent's cultures. Which is why I left West Ham in 1998 for Borussia Dortmund, and when I flopped there, moved to Wisla in 2000 to get my carer back on track. I loved living in Poland and always wanted to return, but luckily I managed to take a bit of Poalnd home with me when I married my lovely Polish wife in 2001, before returning back to England to see out the last few years of my career at Colchester United.
And now here I was, back in Poland looking at a brand new career opportunity. After taking my coaching badges I went on to manage Southend United, and the clubs two successive promotions did not go unnoticed by the higher ups at the Polish FA.
"Stankiewicz?" the receptionist said, as she peered over her thick rimmed glasses, undressing me with her eyes. The interview hadn't even begun yet and I already felt like I was being judged. My nerves got even worse when she ushered me towards a large glass-panelled door, as all the thoughts of what the future may hold came back to me. All of a sudden I was a teenager in the back of a Ford Cortina, driving through Southend, wondering if my dreams of becoming a footballer would ever come true.