View attachment 665441Jorge Perez - My Story
My name is Jorge Perez. I was born in Spain, more specifically Madrid. My Mama and Papa they were Portuguese and lived in Lisbon up until I was born.
I never found out why I moved to Spain. But I remember one specific holiday, one holiday that will live with me forever. I was six years old and we returned to Lisbon for a two week holiday, the holiday was great especially for the first week. We went to water parks, theme parks, zoo's the lot, it was brilliant! The day after though... that specific day is the day I will remember more than any other day. It began with an argument with my parents...
My Mama and Papa was unhappy that I messed up my room, I got told to tidy it. I refused over and over again and I screamed "I hate you, I wish you was dead" of course I didn't mean it, I was upset and didn't want to tidy my room. I ran out of the apartment and I ran to a certain place, this place...
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This is Sporting Lisbon's stadium and if you look right of the stadium, the mud patch. That's where I ran too, I looked up at the stadium and I wasn't a football fan then, I didn't even know what football was but then I said "What is that beautiful place?" a ball came coming my way and I stopped it with the bottom of my foot. I never felt something so exhilarating, I then heard "Oi, can you give the ball back?" It was a boy around my age playing football with his friends. I gave him the ball back and said whilst pointing to the stadium "What is that?" The boy then replied "That's Estádio José Alvalade, it's the stadium of Sporting Clube de Portugal" I was in awe, what a beautiful stadium, I asked him to tell me more and he spoke to me for about an hour telling me about the club. I had never been so interested in something before! Now I look back at all the things the boy said and it was all false as he was only six years old. But I didn't know then and that is where I began to love the beautiful game,
We spent hours playing football, I never had so much fun before. I scored six goals and then I saw on a billboard... It was Cristiano Ronaldo, I didn't know who he was then but it showed a picture of him celebrating with his top off. When I scored my next goal I copied that celebration, I ran round the dirt made pitch with my shirt off spinning it around with my hand, I loved it all and that's where Ronaldo became my idol for many years to come!
It was now time to go home, I completely forgot about my argument with Mama and Papa, I ran home so excited to tell them what I did, I couldn't wait to see their faces. They could take me to football matches and we could watch every single game on television together. I couldn't wait to have my first kick about with Papa. All these thoughts ran through my head.
I then got to the apartment and ran up the stairs with a big smile on my face, I noticed the door slightly open. I walked in looking around and shouted "Mama Papa, I got something to tell you" I got no reply, I walked into the living room and it was trashed, the lamp was on the floor, the sofa was tipped over. I started to worry with an upset tone to my voice I shouted again "Mama, Papa, where are you?" They were nowhere to be seen. I ran into my parents room and again trashed like the living room was, but something was different about this room. This is what I remembered most about any other day. Not the football, not the days out, this very moment is the moment that lives with's me and will haunt me forever. There was blood everywhere, on the walls and on the floor, I couldn't believe my eyes. I cried, over and over again screaming for Mama and Papa. My life hasn't been the same since.
Ten years later, I am now sixteen. I have never got over the loss of my parents but I have learnt to deal with it. There is one thing that gives me happiness and lets me temporarily forget about my parents for a little while and that is football, since that day I played football everyday. Whether it was at school, with my friends or by myself I played football, I felt it was a way to make my parents happy and proud as they were such huge football fans. I hope to make them proud and my time is now to make them proud, I have joined Sporting Lisbon a place where my parents were born, I had plenty of offers but Lisbon was the only place that appealed to me. It is now my time to make my parents proud, and that is what I shall do, my name is Jorge Perez and that is my story.
