Luke Chadwick said cruel jokes about his appearance 'really got to me' (Image: PA) Read More Related Articles. When he was growing up Chadwick did not understand his feelings. Chadwick now plays a huge role at Football Fun Factory, an initiative that provides childhood football experiences for boys and girls of all ages and ability levels, eliminating barriers to opportunity. Obviously people had given him stick and even though whatever happened years ago happened it wasn’t an eye for an eye. Obviously people had given him stick and even though whatever happened years ago happened it wasn’t an eye for an eye. That final point is the most interesting one here because everyone can see it – Maguire needs some time to rest and recover before coming back and returning to his best form. ‘Man up, pull yourself together.’ The education around mental health has improved. United were the best side in the country and the quick and tricky winger loved the club. The great strength I had as a kid was my speed but after a couple of injuries, I was never the same. Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Deep inside I was feeling low, but I wanted to keep that tough exterior on the outside, like it's not going to affect me.". It made me feel really low about myself.". More Stories Harry Maguire Luke Chadwick. "I remember the first time and someone texting me to say, 'Nice appearance on They Think It's All Over'. "I would have felt a lot better about it but, as strange as it sounds, even If i told my teenage myself that, I probably still wouldn't have done it. We've all got it. He was an absolute genius in terms of the way he treated everyone at the club. “If you never give yourself time to express yourself you’re in that rut. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale. Chadwick stresses that injuries are the reason he left United and ended up spending most of his career in the lower leagues. “I was probably scared of what would have been said. Chadwick stresses that injuries are the reason he left United and ended up spending most of his career in the lower leagues. It’s changing that habit. Chadwick made only 39 appearances in all competitions for United, spending time on loan at Royal Antwerp, Reading and Burnley. “It becomes a habit and it’s hard to break,” Chadwick says. At the age of 14, after impressing for Arsenal's youth team, the club invited him to train with the scholars. “It takes me back to that 19- or 20-year-old. “I was just so desperate to watch the episode and there not be any mention of me at all. But they never did. I was anxious. "It felt like that's all anyone was talking about.". You had to work so hard and If you weren't at that level on a certain day, you were certainly told about it. The former Manchester United winger on the fallout from discussing jokes about his appearance affecting his mental health, It says a lot about Luke Chadwick that he ended up feeling bad when he saw Nick Hancock apologising on BBC Breakfast for making fun of the former Manchester United winger’s looks on They Think It’s All Over all those years ago. He says he should have worn a brace as a child, only he was too scared to go to the dentist. Looking back nine times out of 10 nothing would have been said. When he’s at his best he is a top class defender who can anchor a team and gets the best from those around him, but he’s had a lot to deal with in recent months and something needs to change. "We are trying to use football as a vehicle to better people. "I must have done something right to get games at a world-class team like United," he says. "It's more of having an understanding of how you are feeling. Luke Chadwick was a regular target of jokes about his appearance on BBC show BBC show They Think It's All Over featured Nick Hancock and Gary … "There was incredible support off the pitch as well. Rio Ferdinand's verdict on 'playground footballer' Jadon Sancho as … I think I have done that a lot more in recent times.”, Available for everyone, funded by readers. "I'd get abuse on the football pitch and I'd accept that because it happens to everyone but it was off the pitch that affected me most.". While he is no longer the painfully shy teenager who once hid away from the world, revenge was not on his mind when he tweeted about the taunts this month and opened up about They Think It’s All Over in subsequent media appearances. You don’t want to show any weakness to your peers or opponents. “I’d even try to kid myself that I was fine at home. I was scared of the thought something could be said.”, Chadwick insists abuse at games would not bother him. While Chadwick did not think there was anything wrong with him, the abuse was hard to take and there were times when he stopped leaving the house. Then your heart sinks down to the bottom of your stomach.”. He was a quiet kid and skilled in shutting conversations down. Former Man United midfielder Luke Chadwick spoke with Caught Offside about his experiences as a player and the situation facing Maguire just now: “He’s had a tough start to the season, but a lot of that will be down to playing an incredible amount of football in the last year”, “He’s the one player that could’ve done with a break, but that shortened break turned into a nightmare situation with that happened in Greece.”, “He’s so big and powerful so it shows when he’s not 100% on his game.”, “He needs a huge amount of support but there doesn’t appear to be too many leaders in that dressing room.”, “He could do with a couple of games out of the team, but I don’t think the club can afford to do that at the moment.”. This type of incident wasn't a one-off either. "Every training session was incredible and the standard was through the roof. I was too embarrassed. It’s been a tough few months for Harry Maguire, and you could almost see the exact moment where everything caught up with him after he was sent off for England last night. “I was just so desperate to watch the episode and there not be any mention of me at all. All rights reserved. The squad looks short of confidence and some players will need a pick me up, and Chadwick spoke about Solskjaer during their time together as teammates: “Ole was hugely approachable, a top class human being. “It probably was a little bit of that,” Chadwick says. There is no hint of bitterness about Chadwick during a conversation about his days at United, how his mental health suffered when he became a figure of fun on a popular quiz show and the importance of learning to love himself. Strange. "He said I was not going be able to make an impact playing for a club like United. It's matchday and a young Luke Chadwick steps off the team bus. If you were feeling low about the way you played, they would always have your back. I’d rather people close to me were happy, even if it meant I was unhappy a little bit. Rather than judging the kids on scoring goals or who has the best skills, we praise communicating skills and sportsmanship. 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He added: "I would dread every Friday. “My parents and wife have said they’re proud of me. "When I was at the club as a first-team player, there would be 12 or 13 academy players in the canteen and he'd know every single one of their names and where they were from. It goes up and down. The saddest thing, perhaps, when Luke Chadwick reflects on his years at Manchester United and remembers the cruel jokes, week after week, that shaped and disfigured his life is when he makes the point that “it should have been the best time of my life”. Luke Chadwick was a regular target of jokes about his appearance on BBC show They Think It's All Over featured Nick Hancock and Gary Lineker, among others Chadwick said … Chadwick, who played in the same position as David Beckham, was a target. He goes past the crowds and makes his way down a walkway towards the dressing room when a group of people follow him. Manchester United FC. The apologies from Hancock, the show’s former presenter, and Gary Lineker, a team captain, were nice, but Chadwick just wants people to know that it is good to talk. At the end of our chat, after reminiscing about good and bad times during a fascinating career, Chadwick answers the age-old question: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your teenage self? But Chadwick clearly feels his time on the pitch was blighted by cruel taunts off it - with the hit BBC show playing a big part. "It was the reason why I didn't go out a lot. It happened on numerous occasions. I got so good at sweeping everything under the carpet. It’s worth going through that torment and talking about it now.”. It’s that stiff upper lip. It will start eating away out of you. "That season where I did play a few games, it was so intense," he says. He then fell into coaching and went through his qualifications before joined Cambridge United's academy team. If you're feeling low, you should open up. "Sir Alex was really honest with me when I left. Above all his integrity shines through. “It made me feel a little bit guilty,” Chadwick says. “My wife remembers once that I said to her: ‘Just turn it off,’ quite snappily.”, Watching the show seems like a form of self-punishment. "That little bit of detail made you want to run through a brick wall for him. Chadwick says he was often teased on BBC show They Think It's All Over, a British comedy panel show featuring the likes of Gary Lineker and Jonathan Ross. It's rewarding what football can bring us in terms of positive life skills.". He enjoyed his time in Manchester but the abuse the midfielder suffered was damning at times, although he holds no grudge towards anyone who criticised him in the past. “I still want to learn about myself. I’ve always thought about other people before myself. View our online Press Pack. It’s fair to say that the general feeling in United’s support is negative just now but part of the problem is figuring out who’s at fault here. He was not the type to tell anyone that the taunts about his looks were affecting him; not even Alex Ferguson knew one of his young players was hurting. Nick Hancock was the main host, with former Spurs and England star Gary Lineker and cricket legend David Gower as team captains. It's nothing about developing players, it's just about kids having fun. Your email address will not be published. The show ran from 1996 until 2006, during which Chadwick was trying to break into the United first team. Nick Hancock says he is 'appalled' at himself for mocking Luke Chadwick. I could have just gone into a tough period in my life. © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. People would say he was ugly and that his teeth stuck out. If it empowers one other person it’s enough. “My wife remembers once that I said to her: ‘Just turn it off,’ quite snappily.”, Watching the show seems like a form of self-punishment. I just wanted it to go away but it seemed like every time this show was on, they would bring my looks up in some way. And I know that had nothing to do with the way I looked. “It probably was a little bit of that,” Chadwick says. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. "I got the train afterwards to my home in Cambridge and by the time I got back, the gaffer had already phoned my mum and said he wanted me to sign for the club.
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