Football League Players from Tough Backgrounds

[The Goat was fed]

Hi all,

I'm doing a bit of work for a client who want to use some Football League players to visit some schools and council estates in rough areas. The idea is to do a bit of football coaching, but also to do a bit of life coaching advising kids to stay out of trouble.

Obviously, this won't work if the players had a fairly comfortable upbringing, so hit me with a list of footballers from rough areas. Ideally, I'm looking for someone who was "saved" by football and would have ended up in a gang or in prison etc. if he'd not got his act in gear.

Someone like Nile Ranger would have been perfect...were he not still an epic knob.

Cheers,

Greg

[East End Lady]

Doesn't leigertwood do something with some inner city football team - am pretty sure he has tweeted about it before. Would have thought he might be able to give you some ideas etc.

[No Fixed Abode]

Hugo Porfirio.

[ZacNaloen]

Michael Antonio if you want someone who is still young, not sure if he's a dickhead or not though

[soggy biscuit]

Marlon King

[Svlad Cjelli]

Joey Barton is surely the ultimate example.

[Ian Royal]

Joey Barton is surely the ultimate example.

Yeah, brilliant given all the shit he gets up to.

If Legs is an example McAnuff will be too.

[DandyRoyal]

If Legs is an example McAnuff will be too.

Racist

[M-U-R-T-Y]

If Legs is an example McAnuff will be too.

Racist

May I congratulate you on a superb first post.

[cmonurz]

DIdn't the Ferdinands grow up 'on the street'? Anton in particular does a lot of work with youth groups in the area in which he was brought up.

[Red]

Hi DandyRoyal, welcome to the board.

[Maguire]

If Legs is an example McAnuff will be too.

Racist

That's like Rooney scoring on his debut ^

[Stuka]

Jimmy Kebe was born in a stable by immaculate conception during tumultuous times.