Born To Be A Miller

[Millerman]

My Diary - Barry Wilkinson

 

Some people say they were born to do something, others fall into that way of life - well me, I was born to be a Miller and I'm going to tell you all about it.

I started to keep my diary as a 15 year old, the date was the 1st of July 2019! The day I signed a youth contract with Rotherham United, £120 per week until the 30th of June 2021.

The first day was all over in a flash! Sit down, sign this, smile for the cameras and here is your squad number! The number 21, I was given a squad number on my very first day.

I was told at the time of signing I was worth £4,500 which meant very little to me, all I wanted to do was focus on training hard and hitting the back of the net as much as I could.

Looking at my diary I remember scribbling down 'Advanced Forward - Attack', that's what the coaches said I was to be focused on, think Sergio Aguero they said!

With pre-season upon me, it was down to training hard and staying fit......well, I'll tell you all about it month by month, because I was born to be a Miller and I did just that and more........

Edited July 3, 2020 by Millerman

[Millerman]

August 2019

Jeez, talk about ******** bricks!!

Before, playing football was all about fun and being the big fish in the local football pond. Everything was overwhelming, going to the training ground - training each day with my new 'mates' nothing was a laugh anymore, it was all serious!

After speaking with the coaching staff it was clear that in terms of playing a match it wasn't a game of football anymore it was much more important than that, this was my life! My future.

It was decided that this month I would spend time with a sports physiologist to discuss what my mind was going through from the step up from local and school football to my first two years of training for my future. The first session was to ask where my mind was in terms of what I saw as an Important Matches, well in my mind I was a 1, by the end of the month it was a 7. A combination of 3 goals in 4 games and the shrink getting into my nogging did the trick.

My agent advised my asking price was now £6,000 due to me knowing where the back of the net was, I just needed to work at the U23 level football - it was a whole step up to youth level. I had started 4 games this pre-season, 2 at U23 level and being subbed in both and 2 at U18 level playing 90 minutes in both games, smashing in 3 goals.

 

Every game was filmed, so my goals would be around forever, quite happy with the fact I had scored with my right peg and even my nogging.

Edited July 3, 2020 by Millerman