Premier League footballer Ben Gannon-Doak has spoken of how God and his Christian faith keeps him grounded, as he recovers from a major injury he sustained while on international duty.
The Scottish international opened up about how faith has sustained him through three operations in three years, on BBC Scotland’s football programme A View From The Terrace.
Gannon-Doak shared how he “felt God calling” after suffering a major knee injury aged 17 and experiencing loneliness in the world of professional football, having grown up in the Catholic Church but “strayed away” as he grew up.
The forward, who plays club football for AFC Bournemouth, is currently sidelined having undergone surgery for a hamstring injury, having been taken off on a stretcher in Scotland’s 4-2 win over Denmark in November. He left the pitch in tears, as the Tartan Army went on to secure their World Cup qualification.
“When I came to God, I started to feel a bit better and started to feel stronger, and started coping better,” he said, “He’s never going to abandon you. So it was a good way to look at things positively and know that something positive was going to come out of it.”
“Setbacks aren’t really setbacks anymore, it’s just part of the plan,” Gannon-Doak added.
The 20 year-old wore a necklace with a cross and a pendant depicting Saint Michael the Archangel, the archangel of protection, in the interview which took place in a church and Bournemouth’s training ground.
Gannon-Doak spoke of how the lifestyle of professional footballers can “go to your head” and “pull you away from God” with the “flash” and high-wages.
“God just keeps you grounded, keeps you humble. I heavily rely on God to not fall into doing the wrong things,” he said.
He shared how he reads the Bible and prays before games, although jokingly clarified that he’s “not praying for a hat-trick.”
Gannon-Doak believes that Christian footballers are gaining confidence in being able to share their faith, having been “blessed with a platform to do the right things, to be good role models.”
Other Premier League players have been vocal about their Christian faith, including Arsenal’s “Bible Brothers” and Manchester City defender Marc Guehi.