Views are my own
North West
Joined January 2012
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Matt Craddock retweeted
Dinsdale, Ogunsuyi, Scott, Munyakazi...
The four goals at Eppleton this evening 👊
❤️
Remembering former #MUFC goalkeeper, Les Sealey, who passed away on this day 25 years ago.
19/08/2001 🕊🙏
🔴⚪️⚫️
Great news! Top kid and top player
Will be great for @WaterfordFCie too
We're delighted to confirm the signing of midfielder Noah Mawene, with the 21-year-old immediately joining sister club @WaterfordFCie on loan until the end of the 2026 League of Ireland season. 🤝
An amazing job, and an amazing guy.
Congratulations on such an impact and on to the next one @jamescollins48
Outwork your doubt.
Take the next step.
Two great bits of advice!
EUROPA LEAGUE was never the dream.
Not because I didn’t want it.
Because if I’m being honest, I never thought it was possible.
What kid would?
Especially when 12 years ago I was playing non league football in the Ryman Premier and Conference South, just trying to stay alive in the game.
What kid dreams about Europe when, two weeks into the off season, his dad has to tell him he’s been released by Watford F.C. over the phone?
I was heartbroken.
My dad looked at me and said:
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
To which I replied with the words he’d drilled into me my whole life:
“We’re training, Dad.”
So we trained.
Every single day.
My dad emailed every EFL club asking for an opportunity.
One club replied.
One.
That was all I needed.
An opportunity.
@WealdstoneFC and @wwfcofficial , I’ll always be indebted to you.
Then came the move to @SunderlandAFC .
A massive club.
A massive opportunity.
And I couldn’t wait to prove myself.
But 45 minutes into my debut… hooked.
“Rabbit caught in headlights. Waste of money. Get rid.”
Then came the Championship.
“He’s not good enough for this level.”
Then the Premier League.
“Let’s give him a debut and then get rid of him.”
I understood the doubt.
I’ve faced it my whole career.
And truthfully, you doubt yourself too at times.
But I’ve always tried to live by one mindset:
Outwork your doubt.
You don’t always need to see the full journey.
You just need to take the next step.
Then the next one.
And then another.
Even when social media tells you you’re not good enough.
Even when the voice inside your own head whispers the same thing.
Keep working.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
Because sometimes the places you end up are bigger than anything your younger self could’ve ever imagined.
To any young player reading this, don’t put a ceiling on yourself too early.
You genuinely have no idea where this game and life can take you.
And to the boys… thank you.
You removed the glass ceiling I’d placed on myself.
What a team.
What a club.
What a fanbase.
Sunderland… rocking all over Europe ❤️🤍
And in the words of Granit Xhaka:
“This is just the beginning.”
Delighted for the club, players, staff and fans! A step back towards where you belong. Enjoy this day 🤍#bwfc
Also @BWFCBandAcademy a proud day to see @maxconway47 step out at Wembley and play his part ⚽️
Proud of all the lads and staff across the academy this season. The Final was a great experience for the players, and they’ll all be better for it. Fantastic crowd too….as always up here!
Good luck to all the players and staff @OfficialBWFC Go and get the job done this year! 💪🏻🤍
#bwfc #coywm
Matt Craddock retweeted
Owen Coyle junior is steadily making his own name for himself in football at Nottingham Forest.
At 29 he’s the youngest coach in GB to earn his UEFA pro license.
And he’s relishing the role he has to play in the future of the next generation at #NFFC
nytimes.com/athletic/7164882…
Matt Craddock retweeted
To any young kid reading this…
I’ve doubted myself in every league I’ve ever played in.
Ryman Prem.
Conference South.
League Two.
League One.
Championship…
And even right before my first Premier League start last night.
That’s not weakness.
That’s being human.
That’s being alive.
When I was growing up, I thought Premier League players were superhuman.
Like they never felt doubt.
Like they never felt nerves.
The truth is…. it’s often the opposite.
Social media won’t tell you that sometimes you step out there with no confidence. That’s normal. That’s ok!
You now have to then step out there with courage.
Confidence feels good.
Courage doesn’t.
But you do it anyway. Show courage enough times…. You build confidence.
Here’s the mindset that’s carried me for 31 years.
When it goes well:
I worked for it.
I earned it.
Well done.
Watch it back.
Get better.
When it doesn’t:
I know I prepared the best I could.
It didn’t go exactly to plan. That’s football.
But Well done.
Watch it back.
Get better.
That simple recipe gave me a special moment last night.
Leading the team out.
Playing alongside a group that fights for every ball.
Celebrates tackles.
Gives everything for the city of Sunderland.
And sharing it with supporters who never gave up, even after four tough seasons in League One.
So if you’re a young player feeling doubt…
Low confidence…
Or like you don’t believe in yourself…
You’re not alone.
Every player feels it.
Confidence isn’t something you’re given.
It’s something you build.
Bit by bit.
Day by day.
With courage.
With work.
With learning.
Anything worth building takes time.
But that’s what makes it so worthwhile!
Thank you @SunderlandAFC ❤️🤍
Role model and a cracking lad
Brilliant article @Luke_Matheson41
Luke Matheson is the boy who got the bus to school after scoring at Old Trafford.
Aged 23, he’s now at Macclesfield, chasing FA Cup dreams, enjoying football but no longer defined by it &, more than anything, determined Ethan McLeod’s legacy lives on.
nytimes.com/athletic/7043985…
Matt Craddock retweeted
From joining the AoL at six to leaving at 21.
A journey shaped on Wearside ♥️
Tyrhys Dolan.
From @ManCity to @pnefcacademy to @Rovers ……..and now starting against Barcelona. Doesn’t get much better than this!
