Michael Cheek: The ‘terrible’ former barista now sparkling in League Two
Michael Cheek is currently leading the way in the Golden Boot race in League Two, with 18 goals already for Bromley.
It is remarkable, considering it is his first-ever season in the EFL as a 33-year-old. He only turned fully professional in 2017.
“I turned full-time when I went to Dagenham, about nine years ago now,” he says. “I’ve done numerous jobs. I worked in a call centre when I turned full-time, and the day I could leave that job was one of the best days of my life.
“I went travelling to Australia when I was 18 for like a year, and I’ve been a barista making coffee. I’m just happy to be a footballer now!”
But how were his coffee-making skills and, in particular, his latte art?
“I was terrible!” he laughs. “So useless at that. But it was at a local cafe in the corner of a furniture store. We had the same customers and same staff, so I was lucky they weren’t too bothered how their coffee was.”
Rumarn Burrell: How I built my career in Scotland
When Rumarn Burrell was released by Middlesbrough in 2022, he could easily have ended up falling out of the game.
Instead, his determination took him to the third-tier in Scotland. First for Falkirk, and then for Cove Rangers – where 24 goals last season earned him a move to Burton Albion.
“After I left Middlesbrough, it was kind of a tough time to be honest,” he admits. “I didn’t know who wanted me or where I was going to be at.
“But I found a spot in League One in Scotland. I wanted minutes and wanted to play to show what I can do. I scored a few goals, and did another season there where I built confidence from the year before and started scoring a lot more.”
The relative calm of northeast Scotland – with Cove based on the outskirts of Aberdeen – also provided Burrell, 24, with the peace to focus on his game.
“Obviously it’s kind of isolated,” he added. “It was a new city and I didn’t know many people there, so I was just getting my head down and focusing solely on my football.”
Matty Stevens: The PSV ultras lifted the atmosphere at Wimbledon!
When Matty Stevens turned up for AFC Wimbledon’s game with Cheltenham, he thought it was going to be an ordinary Tuesday night League Two fixture.
In the end, it turned out to be anything but, as hundreds of PSV fans – in town for their side’s Champions League clash with Arsenal the following night – rocked up to create quite the racket at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.
“I was walking into the ground with four other players from Wimbledon and as we were walking into the changing room we got stopped by the PSV fans,” recalls Stevens.
“They explained why they were there, because they were playing Arsenal the next day, and they came to show their support.
“They were lively even before the game started. So I knew once it did start they were going to be very loud and you could definitely feel the support.
“Obviously I know their first club isn’t Wimbledon! But it was nice to have them there because it lifted the atmosphere.”
John Marquis: Coppinger inspired me to help prolong career
John Marquis is only 32 and has plenty of years ahead of him, but he hopes advice from inspirational EFL legend James Coppinger will help prolong his time in football for as long as possible.
“When I first signed for Doncaster, Coppinger was about 36 at the time. But he carried on playing until he was about 40,” Shrewsbury striker Marquis says.
“I always tapped into him and how he was able to keep going at that age. He was always front of the running in pre-season, and was a specimen in how he looked after himself.
“When you’ve got those players around you want to know what their secrets are, and he was like you’ve just got to look after your body and do the right things. The stretching and recovery is massive, looking after yourself in the gym and the ice bath – even if they’re not that enjoyable.
“They’re all little things I’ve done since I met Copps. Taking more awareness and care of my body. I probably feel better in the last couple of years than I did earlier in my career.
“It might also help that I’ve got kids now so maybe there are a couple less nights out! You’ve got one body and one career so you have to look after it. Hopefully it can go on as long as possible.”
Jack Muldoon: The boyhood Arsenal fan who got his dream game at the Emirates
Jack Muldoon has been plundering goals for Harrogate Town since 2018, including the last few years in the EFL.
But before then he was part of Lincoln City’s historic run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as a non-league side in 2015. There they faced, and were beaten 5-0 at Arsenal. But the result didn’t matter to Muldoon in the slightest, as he got to live his dream.
“It was unbelievable to be at the Emirates with 60,000 fans,” Muldoon says. “I had been there two weeks before to see Arsenal beat Burnley. We then beat Burnley two weeks later, and then drew Arsenal in the FA Cup.
“My auntie is an Arsenal fan and she took me to games, and she was ecstatic. She rang me saying she can’t believe what was going on when we drew them.
“I remember scoring for Lincoln in our first FA Cup game that season and wrote #ArsenalAway on Instagram. That was six games before that, and I just kept putting that, then it happened.
“I’ve still got Walcott’s shirt on my wall, and I put my FA Cup one next to that.”
Niall Ennis: I always stayed positive during tricky spell
Niall Ennis is back scoring goals in League One for Blackpool, after challenging spells at Blackburn and Stoke where he saw very little first-team football for 18 months.
The striker had scored just one league goal in 23 appearances – and just 11 starts – between leaving Plymouth in the summer of 2023 and heading to Bloomfield Road on loan this January. But he always remained upbeat and has six goals already for the Tangerines.
“It’s football,” he says. “There are a lot of bad things that can happen in football but then you know how quick it can change in six months.
“It’s just about having that mental toughness and being positive around the building, and having that confidence in myself that when I do get the chance to play that I’ll back myself to take it.
“The main thing is just being positive. There are a lot of worse things in the world going on than a bad 18 months in football. A lot can change quickly. I finally got to go to Blackpool to show what I can do, and it’s a match made in heaven. Hopefully I can end the season strong.”
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