2025-06-22, 02:38 PM - Word count:
The wait was agonising. Nyron Nosworthy perched on the arm of the sofa in his parents' South London flat. His parents sat, anxious for him. His little brother Paul was playing Fortnite in his bedroom next door - most of the noise in the room came through that wall, the sound of yelling into a headset.
This is the side of the SSL you don't see. No screaming fans, no elaborate staged draft with hands to shake and cameras to smile at - just an anxious teenager waiting to find out about his immediate future.
Everyone was excited deep down, of course - the news that the eldest son in a football-mad family had been accepted into the SSL academy system had been cause for much family celebration.... but then came the uncertainty. As a worldwide organisation, the SSL could send him anywhere. They didn't even always use the same locations and facilities.
This flat in Brixton was the only home Nyron had known. Born in Jamaica, he barely remembered the place, having moved to London at 3 years old. He'd never left England since - following a dream halfway around the world was not going to be easy.
The clock on the wall ticked, the seconds felt like minutes - then his phone buzzed.
"Hi, is this Nyron?"
"Yeah.."
"I'm from the SSL Office. Just ringing to let you know you've been assigned to FC Port Royal. We'll send travel details through by email."
"What? Where? Port..."
"Port Royal, Nyron. In Jamaica."
"I'm going to Jamaica?!"
Nyron didn't hear the rest of the phone call over his mother's shouts of happiness, but did his best to offer his thanks into the handset as his father lifted him into the air.
Leaving home gets easier if you're headed home.
This is the side of the SSL you don't see. No screaming fans, no elaborate staged draft with hands to shake and cameras to smile at - just an anxious teenager waiting to find out about his immediate future.
Everyone was excited deep down, of course - the news that the eldest son in a football-mad family had been accepted into the SSL academy system had been cause for much family celebration.... but then came the uncertainty. As a worldwide organisation, the SSL could send him anywhere. They didn't even always use the same locations and facilities.
This flat in Brixton was the only home Nyron had known. Born in Jamaica, he barely remembered the place, having moved to London at 3 years old. He'd never left England since - following a dream halfway around the world was not going to be easy.
The clock on the wall ticked, the seconds felt like minutes - then his phone buzzed.
"Hi, is this Nyron?"
"Yeah.."
"I'm from the SSL Office. Just ringing to let you know you've been assigned to FC Port Royal. We'll send travel details through by email."
"What? Where? Port..."
"Port Royal, Nyron. In Jamaica."
"I'm going to Jamaica?!"
Nyron didn't hear the rest of the phone call over his mother's shouts of happiness, but did his best to offer his thanks into the handset as his father lifted him into the air.
Leaving home gets easier if you're headed home.
