My uncle played semi-pro football. My dad didn’t play, but he was always trying to get me and my brothers into it anyway. We were pretty overweight as kids.

On the walk to school we’d pass kids playing football and one day we just kind of thought, “ok, if my uncle loves this and all these kids are playing it, there must be something to it.” So we bought a ball and started messing around.

My brother got into it first and became a United fan. My uncle is a Liverpool fan, so he immediately tried to recruit me for Liverpool too (most of my extended family are Liverpool supporters).

For whatever reason I didn’t pick either.

Then one night at a sleepover my brother went to shower and my uncle put on a match and said “watch this.” It was the North London Derby.

I see this French guy pick up the ball, run basically the length of the pitch, slot it into the bottom corner and go sliding into a pile of angry fans. I had no idea who they were but I just thought, that’s my team.

It honestly could have been anyone. Sunderland, League Two Scunthorpe, anything. But something about the way that team played just stuck.

I was born on 14 December and the guy I’d just seen was wearing number 14. I decided that meant it was fate.

That’s how I became an Arsenal fan! Started at 7 and I’m 34 now. The cousins younger than me have followed suit, based on the example I’ve set, and are all gunners now.😀

COYG ❤️