I was released by Premier League side and decided to quit football.. now I’m thriving and winning awards in new career
IN the world of youth football dreams are often shattered as young players struggle to breakthrough onto the professional stage.
And former Wolves star Jacob Gibson is one of those victims – who gave up his footballing career in 2013 – but he is now thriving as a manager at Lloyds Bank.
Gibson’s journey at the Wanderers did not dramatically end but rather he had a realisation that top-flight English football was not for him.
In his first year as a full-time scholar at the club Gibson was set back with injuries and sent on loan to Doncaster.
This meant it was going to be hard to land a professional contract during his second season.
He said in an interview with Express and Star: “I’d been really looking forward to getting in full-time, giving it a proper go and seeing how I could do.
“Then in the first week of pre-season I did my ankle, and, when I came back, I had a nightmare with my hamstring.
“By the time I was fit, the Under-18s were on an amazing run, winning 11 in a row, and I was sent to Doncaster on loan.
“That was a different experience, and I didn’t really want to be there because the lads were doing so well at Wolves and the atmosphere was brilliant around the place.”
At the age of 19, Gibson was released from the West Midland’s club and then failed to secure a place at League Two side Accrington Stanley.
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And it was after his axing he realised his career in football was no more.
He continued: “Having barely played in my first year, by the time I got into my second there were already conversations about how it was going to be a real struggle to get a pro deal.
“I kept my head down and tried my hardest, and always had the belief I would take my chance if it came.
“But deep down I knew it wasn’t going to happen and I had to prepare for what was coming next.”
Gibson decided to have a dramatic career change and enroll at university and obtained degrees in Sport Science and Sport and Business Management.
He then joined Lloyds Banking Group through their graduate scheme and has since achieved success in his career, currently working as a Senior Sourcing Manager.
Now 29, Gibson achievements in his very different career have not gone unnoticed.
In 2022 he was nominated for the ‘Future Leader’ accolade at the Ethnicity Awards alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka, Alex Scott and Leigh-Anne Piddock from Little Mix.