The Training Camp with Manchester United
Please tell us more about the pre-season tour with Manchester United. How was this experience?
T: Adidas messaged me and said keep the date free and any reason why you couldn’t travel to the US. Next thing I know they said you’re going to LA to join Manchester United on their pre-season tour.
This was easily my craziest life experience to date, I got to go out there and live like a Manchester United player, train with the first team players, do media, attend events with the club I support and film an Adidas advert along the way. I learnt so much on this trip and it served as a reality check that anything is possible if you’re ready to put the work in. From the way we trained out there it was a reminder that every little detail makes the difference which is where I learned to implement this into my videos.
The whole experience for me is one I’ll never forget, surrounding myself with players who worked hard to achieve their goals and reach the top of the game was an opportunity for me to learn that I’ve really got to keep putting the hours in if I want to get the best out of myself. In training the players made it feel like we were a part of the club, every special moment or right decision on the ball they motivated me to continue and it seemed so normal, just training like I always do but with some top-level players, you get to appreciate the little things when you play football with these guys how every little touch of the ball, technique and body position can make all the difference in it being the right or the wrong pass you don’t have time to think you just have to do it.
Did you get close with some players?
The players I was closest to on the trip were Juan Mata and Scott McTominay. Honestly two of the nicest people in football, we were invited to go onto a media event on a private yacht with Adidas x Manchester United alongside them both earlier in the week and luckily I know a really nice lady through an Adidas event at Old Trafford earlier in the year who worked for Man Utd and was able to introduce me to them both and told them about my videos. They asked to see them and after that were so supportive of what I was doing.
Later in the week when we got to the training ground it was like playing football with mates you’ve known for years they came straight up said Tom how are you enjoying LA so far, just kicking the ball between us, trying some skills to then actually being on teams together in the training – it was a great experience.
When our training session finished they had a break before doing some extra training and we were scheduled to go on a tour of the facility but Mata insisted I stayed to do some skills with the team between us and luckily it was all captured on camera, it was like I was actually in the team we were just talking, trying to catch each other out with skills, just having a laugh and enjoying the tour before getting back to training.
When I left Mata said I had something and to never give up, he said: “I play every day and I can’t do some of these things, I hope to see you soon my friend.” He’s a true professional and when players like him give you advice like that you have to listen.
Please tell us about your experience at the FIFA Best Awards 2018
T: I got invited to the FIFA Best Awards to be on the Red (Green) Carpet alongside some of the best football players and legends in the world to see them receive the awards live and share this with my followers, I was surrounded by some of the best of the best which looking back on it was a surreal experience. I always take opportunities like this in as it reminds me that I’m on the right path and that what I dreamed of when I was younger is actually achievable if I put the work in.
The best experience at the awards was seeing first-hand how supportive players are of each other away from the cameras. They really do appreciate when someone is playing well whether they’re a rival player or not. When the results were being announced you could see teammates, friends and family around us that showed how much it really meant to them to win these awards, it just showed no matter how good you are you can always want to better yourself and never settle for what you already have.